Upper east: The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has intensified its efforts to protect public health by educating stakeholders, including dry storage facility owners, provision shop operators, retailers, and distributors, on the regulatory requirements governing the sale and distribution of regulated products. This initiative is part of the Authority's mandate to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of products within the Ghanaian market through education and the enforcement of best practices.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Upper East Regional Office of the FDA organized a stakeholder engagement to promote compliance with product registration laws, storage, warehousing, and distribution best practices in the region. Mr. Abel Ndego, the Acting Regional Head of the Authority, emphasized the importance of continuously building the capacity of stakeholders to ensure operations align with the country's regulatory framework. "As a state-mandated agency ensuring public health and safety, we have always found it imperative to equip our clients with relevant knowledge and best practices," he highlighted.
Routine post-market surveillance conducted by the FDA revealed that some retailers and distributors continued to stock and distribute unregistered products, posing significant risks to public health. Mr. Ndego stated that the sale of unauthorized products could not guarantee their safety, efficacy, and quality. He reminded participants that Ghanaian laws prohibit the sale, display, or free distribution of products not authorized, verified, or registered by the FDA.
During the engagement, participants were educated on product registration procedures, good storage practices, warehouse management, distribution standards, and region-specific challenges affecting the movement of regulated products. Mr. Ndego pointed out that the region's proximity to Burkina Faso and Togo, along with its porous borders, increased vulnerability to the influx of unregistered products.
Mr. Ndego urged distributors and retailers to support the FDA's efforts by refusing to stock or distribute unregistered products, thus helping to minimize their market presence. He described the engagement as productive, noting participants' active contributions and enthusiasm in seeking clarification on regulatory issues. "It has been very insightful. The participants have shown enthusiasm and asked relevant questions that will benefit both regulators and them as distributors, retailers, and operators of dry storage facilities," he noted.
Reaffirming the FDA's commitment to public health, Mr. Ndego assured residents of continuous regulation enforcement and collaboration with industry players to improve compliance. He expressed optimism that participants would apply the knowledge acquired during the training to improve how they source, store, display, and distribute regulated products.
Mr. Elvis Akaboka from God's Love Supermarket, also known as TT Shop in Sandema, Builsa North Municipality, commended the FDA for the routine training program. He noted that the program was impactful in sensitizing them to regulatory requirements on the sale and distribution of regulated products.