Speaking at a stakeholder en­gagement in Accra yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Professor Kwabena Frim­pong-Manso Opuni, indicated that the move was in response to concerns about delays in commu­nication and approvals.

“With this platform, which became effective on August 1, you can now sit at home and do all your applications. At the click of a button, we will receive them and it’s not only with applica­tions, it can be used for all the processes that we are involved in,” he explained.

The meeting, which brought together professional and trade associations, policy makers, development partners, academia and the general public, was to discuss ways of improving FDA’ efficiency to safeguard public health.

It was on the theme: ‘Improv­ing productivity and Efficiency through Digitisation and Staff Commitment.”

Furthermore, Prof. Opuni indicated that the FDA was aligning its operations with the government’s proposed 24-hour economy to ensure timely regula­tory decisions.

He said with the support of development partners, the Au­thority was expanding its infra­structure to enhance regulation and efficiency.

The CEO mentioned that a state-of-the-art “clean room,” funded by the European Union (EU) and BMZ, would be com­missioned in November this year, while the Gates Foundation is supporting the construction of a molecular biology laboratory at Tema and upgrading the FDA’s laboratory information system.

A new data centre under the PharmaVax project, he em­phasised, was also underway to secure applicant data.

Additionally, the CEO noted that Ghana’s WHO-prequalified and ISO-accredited laboratories had positioned the Authority as a trusted agency on African region, providing quality control test­ing for other African countries, including Ethiopia.

Touching on market surveil­lance, Prof. Opuni said that recent observations had shown a reduction in the adulteration of palm oil with Sudan dyes and an improved medicine quality on the market.

“Ultimately, we hope to get to a point where there will not be any substandard or classified medicine found on our market and we are committed to building on the gains made,” he assured.

A Director with the Public Enterprises Secretariat, Lovia Bamfo, noted that while the FDA’s mandate was foundational, the “ultimate responsibility of public health, rests on the shoul­ders of every Ghanaian.”

“The FDA has built a world-class framework by attaining requisite global certifications, including WHO’s maturity level 3 status but these frameworks are only as strong as our collec­tive commitment to it. We are all guardians of our public health,” she noted.