Sherry Inaugurated Lifestyle Committees
The Ministry of Health (MoH) in furtherance of its efforts to ensure healthy living and expansion of the pharmaceutical industry has inaugurated two committees to oversee the establishment of a bioequivalence centre and investigate into the eating habits of Ghanaians.
The 10-member committee of experts for the establishment of bioequivalence centre has been tasked, among other things, to develop protocol to attract funding for the project and determine the necessary organization and management systems that would ensure compliance with the general regulatory requirement in the World Health Organization (WHO) bioequivalence guidelines.
The committee is also expected to design a financial model for the project and possible sources of funding, propose a location, modalities for land acquisition as well as the structure of the project and determine the comprehensive needs of the centre.
The task of the six-member diet and healthy living committee is to research into the health risks of salt and sugar intake, recommend appropriate edible fats in Ghana and the levels and types of salts and sugars for consumption and provide guidelines for implementation of the recommendation within the context of historical, cultural and traditional practice.
Inaugurating the two groups in Accra, Minister of Health Sherry Ayittey, said the inauguration ushered in a new era for the pharmaceutical industry, not only in Ghana, but for the sub-region.
She said the centre would ensure that medicinal products supplied for procurement by international agencies met WHO's norms and standard with respect to quality, safety and efficacy.
'Medicines for the treatment of priority diseases produced locally can now compete internationally and this will create more confidence in the population for medicines produced locally and eventually reduce the cost of locally produced medicines.'
She said the lack of standard bioequivalence centre in Ghana has deprived local manufacturers the opportunity to be included in accessing global funds because they are not WHO prequalified.
'The millions of dollars released under the Global Fund to procure anti-malarial, anti-retroviral and anti-tuberculosis medicines are used to procure such medicines from other countries, notably the Far East and Europe and this go to support their economies whereas we continue to wallow in poverty.
'There is therefore the urgent need to support local pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the sub-region and their products to be internationally accredited and prequalified by strengthening the quality systems through the set-up of a bioequivalence testing centre,' she said.
Mr. James Ohemeng Kyei, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and chairman of the committee on experts for the establishment of bioequivalence, expressed the appreciation of the committee for being chosen to serve on the committee.
Pharmacist Kyei said only 20 percent of the market share of essential medicines consumed in the health sector is manufactured locally and only three percent of qualified pharmacists are in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
He therefore called on the ministry to give the needed support to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana.
Professor Akosa, chairman of the committee on diet and healthy living, also promised the minister to deliver on its task and ensure that every Ghanaian eats well and increases their life expectancy.
The committee of experts for the establishment of bioequivalence centre membership includes Mr. James Ohemeng Kyei, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Mrs. Martha Gyansa-Lutterodt, chief pharmacist and director of Pharmaceutical Services, Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, John Kwakye, of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Mrs. Edith Andrews-Anna representing the World Health Organization (WHO).
Other members are Mr. Ben Botwe, pharmaceutical consultant, Dr. Stephen Opuni from the Food and Drugs Authority, Mrs. Emma Ofori Agyemang, deputy director, Ministry of Health, Mr. Kwasi Poku Boateng an industrial pharmacist and Mrs. Grace Issahque from the Attorney General's Department.