The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says “100 per cent” of anti-malarial and antiretroviral drugs in the country are of good quality.

It said the quality, safety and efficacy of medicines on the Ghanaian market were closely monitored on a daily basis, adding that there was, therefore, no need for the public to panic.

A statement from the Authority and copied to the Ghana News agency said about 39.6 per cent of antimalarial medicines on the Ghanaian market were sub-standard and falsified in 2009.

It said as part of efforts to deal with the issue, the FDA mounted intensive nationwide public education and post-market surveillance activities, resulting in a significant decline in substandard and falsified antimalarial medicines on the Ghanaian market.

"This was shown in a study conducted by the United States Pharmacopeia(USP), with support from the US Agency for International Development(USAID), which indicated a drastic reduction in the proliferation of substandard and falsified medicines, from 39.9 per cent in 2009 to about 1.4 per cent in 2018," the statement said.

It said in the case of antiretroviral drugs, the 2019 study indicated that about 14 per cent were found to be substandard due to the degradation of key components of the medicines, and also as a result of poor storage and transportation.

"It is, however, instructive to note that anti-malarial and anti-retroviral medicines in Ghana had a 100 per cent pass with respect to quality in 2019, a no mean feat that must be acknowledged by all," the statement added.

It said the FDA had also introduced several risk-based approaches and interventions such as the extensive processes involved in medical product registration - laboratory analysis of samples, and inspection and licensing of manufacturing facilities.