The Global Pharma Health Fund (GPHF) has donated a compact mobile laboratory for identifying counterfeit medicines to the Ministry of Health.
It was the 500th lab that the GPHF, a charitable initiative financed by Merck, has provided to public and private health services in developing countries since 1998.
It costs 4,000 euro and contains the essential lab-ware and chemicals, as well as authentic tablets and capsules for reference purposes.
Supplies include sufficient quantities of solvents to perform about 1,000 assays, while ensuring that the total material costs for one test-run do not exceed three euro.
Mr. Rojo Mettle-Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health who received the donation, thanked the donors for their gesture, saying it came in handy at a time when the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has committed itself to the elimination of counterfeit and sub-standard medicines.
He said the facility will be handed over to the FDB to complement their operations throughout the country, adding: “The FDB already has five mobile lab facilities and this will make it six to make their work more efficient.”
Mr. Mettle-Nunoo said counterfeit-medicine proliferation constitutes serious health hazards in developing countries including Ghana.
“A survey conducted by the FDB in 2008 exposed 35 percent of anti-malarias as counterfeits.
“However, FDB has been able to reduce this high figure to five percent as at 2012 with the effective use of the Minilab technology — and is committed to utilising the facility to totally halt the activities of peddlers of such counterfeit and sub-standard medicines in the country,” he said.
Present at the function were Dr. Stephen K. Opuni, Chief Executive of the Food and Drugs Board, the agency charged with ensuring the quality of drugs; Sylvester A. Mensah, Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority; and Ghanaian-born professional soccer player Gerald Asamoah.
“Counterfeit medicines pose a serious threat to health globally; here in Ghana as well,” said Dr. Opuni.”
The International Police Organisation (Interpol) estimates that about 30 percent of medicines imported into Africa including Ghana are either counterfeit or substandard.
In Ghana, 21 Minilabs are already being used, and each additional Minilab makes a valuable contribution to quality control of medicines.
Frank Gotthardt, Chairman of the GPHF and Head of Public Affairs at Merck, explained the advantage of the two suitcase-size lab units: “Many counterfeit medicines have no therapeutic benefit or sometimes even contain harmful substances.
The GPHF Minilabs are globally unique for their ability to detect such counterfeits quickly, cost-effectively and reliably.”
The International Criminal Police Organisation, Interpol, estimates that 10% to 30% of all medicines in Africa are counterfeit or of inferior quality.
Gerald Asamoah –who played as a member of the German national soccer team in 43 matches and has to date played in more than 300 matches in the German Bundesliga — set up the Gerald Asamoah Foundation for Children with Heart Conditions in 2007.
This foundation supports German and international aid projects and has long-term plans to build a ward in Accra for children with heart conditions.
Asamoah was impressed by the Minilabs’ flexibility and said: “I’m amazed at how quickly and easily counterfeit medicines can be detected anywhere in the world using the analytical methods of the Minilab.” Asamoah was particularly pleased when Karim Bendhaou, Managing Director of Merck North West Africa, promised him an ultrasonic measuring device for the pediatric ward of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, and said “This device will be a blessing for many children.”
So far, the GHPF has donated the Minilabs it developed to more than 80 countries or delivered them at cost; approximately half of the 500 compact labs are being used in African countries. A Minilab consists of two portable and tropic-resistant suitcases and provides a large number of test methods for checking medicines for external abnormalities, identity and content.
Currently, 57 active pharmaceutical ingredients can be tested — particularly those in medicines commonly used against infectious diseases. The test methods include those for common antibiotics, anthelmintics, virostatics, anti-malarial medicines, tuberculostatics and other medicines.
The combination of a simple, reliable test set for on-site testing and a manual with detailed instructions on conducting the tests is unique.
The GPHF is also developing new test methods to be able to check even more medicines. In addition, it offers training to ensure that the users are familiar with the test methods.
