Local manufacturing companies should be supported to manufacture essential pharmaceutical products locally in order to combat the menace of counterfeit and sub-standard pharmaceutical products in sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Patrick Lukulay, Vice President of United States Pharmaceutical Convention has said. It is estimated that about 70 percent of medicine used in Africa is imported and 25-30 percent of medicines imported into sub-Saharan Africa is counterfeit – constituting an about-US$431billion market. Out of the amount US$359billion, representing 83 percent, had direct public health impact. He was speaking at the launch of the Centre for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training (CePAT) in Accra. The centre aims to equip national and local regulatory authorities and officers, manufacturers and operators in the pharmaceutical industry with knowledge and skills to promote access to good quality medicines. He said it is high time leaders on the continent built the capacity of local pharmaceutical companies so that procurement of goods and essential medicine can be manufactured on the continent instead of importing them. Dr. Lukulay said in the interests of sustainability the continent should be able to manufacture and produce medicine internally. “Serious public health issues related to poor quality medicines have been linked to lack of trained human resources in countries with limited resources,” he said. According to 2013 United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-USP report on promoting the quality of medicines programme in Ghana found that over 90 percent of samples tested failed either the test for the active ingredient or sterility, and only three of the 26 products tested were officially registered with the Food and Drug Authority (FDA). This report according to Dr. Lukulay underscores the seriousness of the issue and the need for trained professionals to improve access to quality medicines. Minster of Health Ms Sherry Ayitey said the centre came at an opportune time when the country is experiencing an upsurge in the occurrence of sub-standard spurious, falsely labelled, falsified counterfeits (SSFFCs). “Counterfeit and sub-standard pharmaceuticals have been a serious problem across the globe, but capacity to deal with it is limited as counterfeiters are becoming more sophisticated in vulnerable markets. “It is also coming at a time when as a country we are focusing on local production as a tool for increasing access to pharmaceuticals,” she said. She said the FDA has intensified its monitory systems to identify SSFFCs on the market, adding that regulatory interventions have been undertaken by it to address the problems. This, she said, includes withdrawal of products and communication to providers and general public. She asked CePAT to work in close collaboration with the FDA and other regulatory agencies in the sub-region to support and strengthen the quality assurance systems in a sustainable way. By Benson AFFUL

Ghana trio Mubarak Wakaso, Mohammed Rabiu and Fatau Dauda have been nominated for the Black Stars Most Valuable Player Award.

Stuff.co.nzStormers fined for referee abuseStuff.co.nzThe Stormers have been fined $25,000 after admitting charges stemming from a Super Rugby match on April 26 of using insulting language to match officials and bringing the game into disrepute. The Stormers admitted that during a match against the ...and more »

R2Bees Ghanaian music group R2Bees has been nominated for the 2013 edition of the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards. According to the award nominees list released May 14, 2013, R2Bees were drawn in the Best International Act Africa category. The …

New YorkerAngelina Jolie is a good exampleBelfast TelegraphNeither fame nor fortune is any defence against cancer, a point emphasised by the decision of Hollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie to undergo a double mastectomy because she carries the BRCA1 gene which greatly increases her risk of developing breast or ...Angelina's breast surgery possible in India, but there's a catchFirstpostAngelina Jolie: From girl with tattoos to girl with a causeIndian ExpressHas Angelina Jolie started a health revolution by revealing double mastectomy?The IndependentNew York Times (blog) -Boston Herald -RTE.ieall 1,658 news articles »

gulfnews.comSyria: 'Cannibal' rebel defends his actionsgulfnews.comBeirut: A Syrian rebel who was filmed apparently cutting out and eating the organs of a regime soldier has defended his actions as revenge for regime atrocities, Time magazine reported on Tuesday. But the gruesome video threw the spotlight on war crimes ...Video: Syrian rebel cuts out soldier's heart, eats itCNN InternationalSyria rebels vow to punish atrocities amid video outrageSaudi GazetteSyrian rebels vow to punish heart eaterABC OnlineThe Times (subscription) -TIME -Myjoyonline.comall 130 news articles »

Times LIVE (blog)Donald and Toya Delazy nominated for the 2013 BET AwardsTimes LIVE (blog)The two will go head to head with Nigerian stars 2Face Idibia and Ice Prince, Ghana's R2Bees and Ugandian Radio and Weasel, for the Best International Act: Africa category that has seen other local stars being nominated for it. And without doubt the two are ...BET Awards 2013 Nominations: The Complete ListMTV.comDrake Leads BET Awards Field With 12 Nominations, Kendrick Lamar & 2 ...Idolator: All About The Music2013 BET Awards Nominees Revealed, Drake LeadsThe Honesty HourS2Smagazine.com -Niagara Falls Review -BETall 36 news articles »

The Minority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, has scoffed at claims that he took to his heels when he met Alfred Woyome at the Amsterdam Airport recently.

A private practising lawyer, Dennis Ofosu Appiah has alleged that the practising license of Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, counsel for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the ongoing election petition case, had expired as of the time Mr Tsikata

However, a member of the NDC’s legal team, Mr Victor Kojoga Adawudu has dared his colleague lawyer to prove his allegation against Mr Tsikata.

Stop the culture of shoot and kill and be sure that the brutalities in Kumasi will come to a halt, the Member of Parliament for

CHANTELLE Houghton and Alex Reid just can't stop lashing out at each other. Despite splitting more than eight months ago, the former couple are still

It has emerged that the series of searing attacks launched on the General Overseer of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet Temitope Balogun

There will be more mobile phones than people by the end of 2014 thinks the ITU There will be more mobile subscriptions than people in

While Chinese nationals are pouring into Ghana in droves daily and are now spread across the entire country, the opposite is the case for Ghanaians

A renowned spiritual leader who also doubles as the President of the Council for Spiritual Churches of Ghana, Prophet Philip K. Acquah, has strongly recommended

The Founder of the United Renaissance Party (URP), Charles Kofi Wayo, has reacted angrily to the killing of two Ghanaians by suspected Chinese small scale

ALICIA Douvall has turned her back on dodgy plastic surgery – by having her facial implants removed. The former glamour model, who has had more