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Sub-standard drugs triggering new diseases in Liberia- says Health Regulator

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By Alfred Kollie   Email alfredkollieje92@gmail.com

The Managing Director of the Liberia Medicine and Health Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) has alarmed that the influx of sub-standard drugs into this country is inducing new diseases.

Pharmacist David Sumo said there is an urgent need to develop a framework to control sale and provision of health services.

He was speaking to reporters at the start of a two-day validation forum at the start of the week in Paynesville, outside Monrovia.

The exercise, which brought together stakeholders from the LMHRA and the health sector, is geared towards instituting proper measures in controlling medicines and providing health services that are internationally acceptable.

“For us, at the LMHRA, we look at the safety of medicine. The sale of medicine is a public health issue and that’s why we are concerned,” Mr. Sumo said.

The LMHRA, he noted, remains committed, despite the numerous challenges it faces in the discharge of its duties; one of which he identified as lack of tracking system to detect possible illegal research using biological samples.

“Another major challenge we are faced with is the lack of regulations on samples transferred out of the country. There is also limited monitoring of quality services,” the LMHRA boss further assured.

He said this highlights a pressing need to develop a regulatory platform to overcome the constraints.

“We need to keep doing research so that we can better prepare ourselves for those challenges”, Sumo averred, while at the same time underscoring the need to monitor the safety of medicine be it donation or purchase once it is meant for consumption.

LMHRA was established in 2010 through an Act of the Liberian Legislature and it regulates the sale of drugs in this West African country.

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