DKT Sensitises Stakeholders

DKT, a social marketing non-governmental organisation (NGO) implementing various family planning programmes in the country, has held a sensitisation workshop on pharmacovigilance and adverse reaction for its staff and stakeholders in Accra.

The one-day workshop was aimed at strengthening the firm's safety measures for its products, and also to empower its staff to be able to promptly report adverse reaction among users of DKT products.

Mario E. F Avarez, Country Director of DKT Ghana, addressing the participants during the opening ceremony, mentioned that DKT currently runs about 23 family planning programmes in 33 countries across the world.

He said DKT's mission is to reduce maternal mortality and HIV through increased contraceptive usages among Ghanaian populace.

Touching on the need for the workshop, Mr Alvarez observed that DKT is very passionate about ensuring public health and safety in its operations, hence, “it is important to have effective reporting on reactions from our clients using our products to ensure we improve on it.”

Adamu Abdulia, Senior Manager, Regulatory Affairs and QPPV, DKT, stated that DKT's focus on safety covers various aspects of the company's operations, including clients, staff and regulatory affairs.

“It involves everybody that has something to do with sales, clients and staff to contribute to the safety aspect of operations,” he said.

Mr Abdulia pointed out that the workshop is targeted at ensuring the safety of clients, thus, the participants were taken through presentations on safety measure and reporting promptly on reactions by users of DKT products.

“We are doing this as part of the requirement of the Public Health Act 851,” he added.

The participants, numbering over 200, were introduced to the improved adverse reaction reporting form by DKT, which provides all the specific information in reporting reaction from clients in a confidential manner.

By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri