National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control in Nigeria (NAFDAC) is co-hosting the second African Healthcare conference in Lagos, Nigeria, from 17 to 19 September 2019 with GS1, a neutral, not-for-profit organisation that develops and maintains global standards used to improve the efficiency, safety and visibility of supply chains.
NAFDAC is co-hosting the conference as a continuum in fulfilling the Agency’s mandate that includes the control of distribution, sale and use (or supply chain) of medicines and medical products.
This is to ensure that these regulated products are traceable with the aim of eliminating substandard and falsified medicines (SFs) in the supply chain, thus safeguarding the health of the population.The conference is supported by the World Bank, Global Fund, USAID and International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (IFPMA).
For this conference, healthcare regulators from across Africa will join international organisations, regional and global healthcare stakeholders and prominent experts to address global health policy aspects to prevent falsifiedmedicines entering the supply chain throughimplementing traceability.
The WHO recently estimated 1 in 10 medical products circulating in low and middle-income countries to be either substandard or falsified, especially in Africa, that accounts for 42% of the detected cases worldwide.
Addressing this situation may help prevent widespread loss of life in this continent, including an estimated 64 000–158 000 avoidable deaths from malaria alone. Furthermore, falsified medication has an economic impact and results in less trust in the healthcare system.
The GS1 Healthcare conference in Lagos will provide a unique opportunity for healthcare stakeholders to discuss how to work together across Africa to achieve better traceability of pharmaceuticals and to improve patient safety. Delegates will also hear about WHO efforts to prevent substandard and falsified medical products entering the global market.
Leading experts will showcase how GS1 standards helpsupply chain partners, including healthcare professionals,implementing traceability, making sure that the patient receives the right medication.
The conference program includes presentations from senior representatives of the World Bank, USAID, the Global Fund, NAFDAC, WHO, J&J, Roche, Pfizer, AbbVie, UK Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, among others.
