Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority to “strictly” enforce laws in 2013

Afrik Update

News/Africa
GHANA

By GNA

                     

The Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) in its bid to ensure the safety of Ghanaians, will in 2013 strictly enforce its laws to ensure that those who violate the law are prosecuted.

“With the passage of the Public Health law, we have the full legal backing to prosecute importers, retailers, and members of the general public who violate the law”,  Mr James Lartey, Public Affairs Director of FDA told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Thursday.

The new Public Health Law, which has the objective of promoting public health and well-being, strengthen the public health infrastructure, provide essential public health services and functions, identify roles and responsibilities of public health agencies and encouraging communities to create and maintain a healthy environment, was passed on July 11, 2012 by

Parliament and received Presidential assent in November, 2012.

The Authority will institute educational programmes with its stakeholders which included the judiciary, media, importers, exporters, retailers and market women to educate them on their roles in the services they rendered.

“Assessing our activities embarked on in this year has revealed that we need to intensify our education and training programmes using drama series, short documentaries, jingles and work closely with the NCCE to achieve all these”.

Also FDA attached seriousness to the fight against the importation, distribution and use of counterfeit drugs, unwholesome and expired food substances and will do all it could to ensure the safety of Ghanaians.

FDA impounded fake products such as Hord’s Cocoa Powder, imported and distributed by Buchberger Enterprise located at Batsonaa on the Spintex Road, assorted fake alcoholic beverages and gallons of flavourings.

Others included fake J.H. Heneken’s Schnapps, J.H Captain’s schnapps, Castle Bridge London Dry Gin, re-bagged rice, weavle-infested rice, unwholesome fish, sanitary pads, counterfeit detergents, unwholesome cooking oil as well as inspection and licensing of street food vendors.

The Foods and Drugs Authority (FDA) in its bid to ensure the safety of Ghanaians, will in 2013 strictly enforce its laws to ensure that those who violate the law are prosecuted.

“With the passage of the Public Health law, we have the full legal backing to prosecute importers, retailers, and members of the general public who violate the law”,  Mr James Lartey, Public Affairs Director of FDA told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Thursday.

The new Public Health Law, which has the objective of promoting public health and well-being, strengthen the public health infrastructure, provide essential public health services and functions, identify roles and responsibilities of public health agencies and encouraging communities to create and maintain a healthy environment, was passed on July 11, 2012 by

Parliament and received Presidential assent in November, 2012.

The Authority will institute educational programmes with its stakeholders which included the judiciary, media, importers, exporters, retailers and market women to educate them on their roles in the services they rendered.

“Assessing our activities embarked on in this year has revealed that we need to intensify our education and training programmes using drama series, short documentaries, jingles and work closely with the NCCE to achieve all these”.

Also FDA attached seriousness to the fight against the importation, distribution and use of counterfeit drugs, unwholesome and expired food substances and will do all it could to ensure the safety of Ghanaians.

FDA impounded fake products such as Hord’s Cocoa Powder, imported and distributed by Buchberger Enterprise located at Batsonaa on the Spintex Road, assorted fake alcoholic beverages and gallons of flavourings.

Others included fake J.H. Heneken’s Schnapps, J.H Captain’s schnapps, Castle Bridge London Dry Gin, re-bagged rice, weavle-infested rice, unwholesome fish, sanitary pads, counterfeit detergents, unwholesome cooking oil as well as inspection and licensing of street food vendors.

 Their attention will also be shifted to radio stations who do advertisements for these manufacturers now that the new law is more explicit on what diseases must be and must not be mentioned on air” attention will also be shifted to radio stations who do advertisements for these manufacturers now that the new law is more explicit on what diseases must be and must not be mentioned on air”