Most noted are Antibiotics, antimalarial, and antihypertensive medicines ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT | Up to 23% of medicines used in African medical facilities are either substandard or falsified. This includes medicines that do not meet quality specifications and are deliberately substandard or falsified and circulated in the market. Sadly, many substandard, …
Read More »Stock-outs of crucial HIV medicines
Survey exposes extent of danger to children in Kenya and Uganda ANALYSIS | MERCY SHIBEMBA | A recent survey which assessed the availability of paediatric antiretroviral formulations across health facilities in Uganda and Kenya has revealed that recommended medications for children were only available in 52% and 64% of Kenyan and …
Read More »Protect the medicines that protect us
WHO charts new path for action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) ANALYSIS | SHOBHA SHUKLA | Protect the medicines that protect us and ensure that all those who need them can access them, says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director General of The World Health Organization (WHO). He was speaking at a …
Read More »Fake medicines are dangerous
Three ways to spot them Kampala, Uganda | David R. Katerere | At the end of a long day, you realise you’re starting to get a headache. So you buy painkillers from the street vendor, and take two. But how do you know what those pills really are? The vendor isn’t …
Read More »Ugandan manufacturers producing 20 percent of essential medicines: Experts
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandan manufacturers still produce very low quantities of essential medicines catering for only about 20 percent of the country’s demand. Speaking at a meeting organized by the Uganda Healthcare Federation, Nevin Bradford, the former CEO of Cipla Quality Chemicals Company said currently, there are over …
Read More »Gov’t embarks on delivery of essential medicines
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja, has said that distribution of essential medicines and medical supplies has commenced and will be fast-tracked to ensure national coverage. She gave the update during the plenary sitting on Thursday, 02 February 2023. “There were some logistical challenges which have …
Read More »NDA impounds medicines worth UGX 100M in operation
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Drug Authority-NDA has impounded 406 boxes of substandard assorted medicines worth 100 Million Shillings. The head of enforcement at NDA Samuel KyomukamaIn said that the drugs were impounded from the districts of Iganga, Kamuli, Buyende, Jinja, Kaliro, Namutumba, Kayunga, and Jinja City. Kyomukama …
Read More »The role of RDCs, MPs in countering theft of Govt medicines in public health facilities
COMMENT | Mike Ssegawa | When President Museveni was launching the National Medical Stores (NMS) pharmaceutical warehouse in Kajjansi, off Entebbe road, in November 2022, he made a statement on drug theft which should have woken us all up. The President said drugs bought by Ugandan taxpayers were on sale in the …
Read More »Regulation of medicines in Africa
Ghana conference makes progress in efforts to harmonise it Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | Africa’s limited pharmaceutical industry, high costs of raw materials, and dependence on imported medicines have long hampered citizens’ access to the medicines they need. The challenges the continent faces are daunting. They include poor supply chain systems, …
Read More »Experts urge Africa to expedite local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | Experts have called on African countries to expedite the local manufacturing of pharmaceutical products amid the continent’s dependence on externally manufactured medicines. The experts made the call during a virtual meeting hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)’s AfCFTA(African Continental Free Trade Area)-anchored …
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