Most donor drugs do not satisfy country requirements - Botwe

Accra, May 4, GNA - Mr Ben Botwe, Acting Deputy Chief Executive of the Food and Drugs Board, on Thursday said the majority of drugs given by donor agencies most often do not satisfy the needs and requirements of the country.

Most of these drugs, apart from not being relevant to the disease pattern of the country, are mostly expired and are packaged and labelled in languages which are foreign to Ghanaian health service providers and consumers alike.

Mr Botwe, who was speaking at a national workshop on Guidelines for Food and Drug Donation, said these attributes make most drugs donated a health hazard rather than meeting health needs. He called for a partnership of all stakeholders to formulate effective guidelines that would maximise the benefits of food and drug donations and safeguard the health of the consumer.

About 35 representatives from donor organisations, consolidators, regulators and recipients of donated drugs are attending the day's workshop, which aims to review and adapt national guidelines on food and drug donations to maximise its vital role in reducing human suffering.

Mr Botwe said most donations are made in times of emergency and there is the need for donors to state the contents in a language that is appropriate and can be read and understood by the recipient.

"They must state exactly what the contents are and how these must be handled and stored." He expressed the hope that discussions during the workshop would help participants come out with documents that would achieve a national consensus and create awareness on safeguarding the health of consumers.

Mr Austin Gamey, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, who opened the Workshop, said in May 1996, the World Health Organisation Action Programme on Essential.

Drugs representing the views of eight International Relief Organisations developed an Interagency Guidelines for Drug Donations necessary for humanitarian emergency relief. He said the core principles of good donation practice were identified as maximum benefit for recipient, respect for the wishes and authority of the recipient, avoidance of double standards in quality and effective communication between donor and recipient.

"The guidelines have enabled several recipients to express openly how they would like to be helped and make it possible for them to refuse certain types of donations."

Mr Gamey said the national guidelines are not intended to discourage donations but to improve their beneficial effect, and urged participants to review the WHO guidelines and make them acceptable to all.

Dr. Martin P. Mandara, WHO Representative, said in a speech read for him that, very often, an emotional appeal for assistance is issued without guidance on what the priority needs are.

"These include cases where donated drugs have been dangerous to the environment, not complied with locally agreed health policies or have been irrelevant for the situation, the disease pattern or the level of care available."

He said basically, no drugs should be sent from a donor country without a specific request or without prior clearance by the receiving country, adding that drugs donated should be on the Essential Drugs list of the receiving country.

Dr. Mandara said no drug should arrive with a future life before expiry date of less than one year and the labelling should be in the appropriate language and should contain the generic name, name of the manufacturer, strength, expiry date and total quantity.