As a result of the prevailing menace of substandard and adulterated medical products flooding the markets, especially in low income countries, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) has advocated for access to quality medicines and urgent need for quality local manufacturing of drugs in Africa in order to provide solutions to health problems in the continent.

This was made known by the Chief of Party Promoting the Quality of Medicines (PQM) Programme, USP, Dr Chimezie Anyakora in his publication titled “Cost benefit of investment on quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing: WHO GMP pre- and post-certification of a Nigerian pharmaceutical manufacturer.”

Dr, Chimezie stated that there is the need to invest in both facilities and quality management systems to achieve good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliance by Pharmaceutical companies in Africa.

“Compliance to international GMP standards is important to the attainment of World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification,” he said.

The USP Chief of Party reveals that “the health challenges facing African populace have not been fully addressed by the African governments and this has led to the continent poor health when comparing it to other continents. One of such basic health challenge is the lack of access to quality medicines by the populace, particularly those living in rural areas.”

Dr Chimeze said that in health care sector, Medicines or pharmaceuticals has a large role to play most especially in the aspect of prognosis, diagnosis, prevention, treatment of diseases, and even maintenance of health status.

Hence, the consequences of poor quality drugs include an increase in deaths and morbidity, increased adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and the development of drug resistance. It also reduces confidence of patients on the health care system.

He also ascertains that Africa house up to75% of HIV cases and 90% of malaria deaths. So, the continent needs local medicine production to ensure continuous supply of medicines capable of handling the health challenges facing Africa rather than relying on external sources, which may disrupt supply and possibly increase the cost of health care.

Dr. Chimezie further urges Local Pharmaceutical Companies in Africa to evolve in their capacity so as to provide high-quality pharmaceutical products to meet the growing health care need of the continent, in order to maintain these high-quality products in Africa, local production should be compliant with good manufacturing practices (GMPs).

 However, “WHO is in support of the development of local manufacturing companies in developing countries, most especially in Africa and in compliance to WHO GMP, there is the need to attain WHO’s prequalification which offers great opportunity for local West African pharmaceutical companies to distribute locally manufactured drugs to other Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries through the application for international medicine tender.

 But unfortunately, none of these medicines produced currently by pharmaceutical manufacturers in West Africa has achieved WHO prequalification.

To be WHO prequalified means that medicines produced by manufacturers have to be of an acceptable global quality, safety, and efficacy standard. In addition, GMP compliance especially minimizes and manages pharmaceutical manufacturing risks,” he explained.

 Dr Ayankora therefore beckons on Governments of West African countries to urge their local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to apply for WHO prequalification which will act as an incentive to other local manufacturers. They should also play a role in increasing the capacity of local pharmaceutical companies to manufacture quality medicines and support Companies that have already invested or are investing in improving quality in their pharmaceutical manufacturing.