From 6 to 12 December, the Fight The Fakes Alliance* organised the 4th edition of "Fight the Fakes Week": a series of events and meetings aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of falsified and substandard medicines. The Brazzaville Foundation participated.
This year, "Fight the Fakes Week" was held under the slogan "Health is not a hoax". This theme is all the more relevant in the context of a global pandemic, where trafficking in medical products is proliferating to the detriment of difficulties related to shortages, access, and suspicions about vaccines.
On 8 December, the Brazzaville Foundation, represented by its Chief Executive Richard Amalvy, was invited to interact with members of the Fight the Fakes Alliance during an online Meet & Greet event. This fruitful meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the Brazzaville Foundation's commitment as a member of the alliance.
Launch of the Meet and Greet online event with Richard Amalvy, Chief Executive of the Brazzaville Foundation; Adam Aspinall, Chair of the Fight the Fakes Alliance and Senior Director, Access and Product Management of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV); Greg Perry, Assistant Director General of IFPMA
On 9 December, Richard Amalvy and Professor Moustafa Mijiyawa, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Health Care of the Republic of Togo and political coordinator of the Lomé Initiative, spoke at the online webinar on the power of cooperation and legislation in the fight against this scourge.
Panel of speakers at the webinar on the power of legislation and collaboration in fighting fake medicines
Firstly, Prof. Mijiyawa addressed the health and security challenges posed by the trafficking of fake medicines in Africa. He reaffirmed the commitment of the Republic of Togo, political coordinator of the Lomé Initiative and signatory of the African Medicines Agency treaty and the MEDICRIME convention, to fight against trafficking and the need for multilateral and cross-border collaboration to penalise this crime.
Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Health Care of the Republic of Togo and Political Coordinator of the Lomé Initiative at the webinar on the power of legislation and collaboration in fighting against falsified medicines
Richard Amalvy then went on to discuss the established links between falsified medicines, public health, security and the rule of law, which define the priorities around which the 2022-2024 programme of the Lomé Initiative is structured.
On the legislative level, the ministers of the states concerned, experts from the private and public sectors and civil society actors will be invited in early 2022 to discuss the results of the analysis of the legislative audit carried out by the Brazzaville Foundation as part of its technical support for the Lomé Initiative. This analysis will help to better understand the level of criminalisation of trafficking and increase the capacity of countries to improve their legislation.
Richard Amalvy, Chief Executive of the Brazzaville Foundation, at the webinar on the power of legislation and collaboration in fighting falsified medicines
*The Fight the Fakes Alliance (FTF) is a multi-stakeholder non-profit association that aims to raise awareness and influence change about the proliferation of substandard and falsified medicines. It brings together doctors, nurses, pharmacists, research institutes, NGOs and foundations, academic institutions, consumer protection coalitions, product development partnerships, mHealth providers, pharmaceutical wholesalers, the research-based and generic pharmaceutical industry and civil engagement networks.
