"That's why I think it's an objective, I don't think it's in the short term, it's not easy, but in the medium and long term I think the Ministry of Health has to think about implementing this issue of the analysis laboratory", said this Thursday the president of ANIFA, Nuno Cardoso.
For the official, as long as there is no laboratory (for the quality control of medicines) "it will be impossible" to have a company that produces medicines in Angola.
"And, therefore, all these are steps, which are not easy to take, but we as an association are also here to contribute and to help the Ministry of Health to be able to take this step", he assured.
According to Nuno Cardoso, ANIFA also proposes to work with the Angolan authorities in order to stop the counterfeiting of medicines, a problem that persists in Angola and that must be fought for the well-being of citizens.
"We, as an association, want to fight for this in Angola, we know that there is a lot of counterfeiting and it is one of the problems that unfortunately Angola still has to fight. But I think that both ANIFA, the Ministry, the professional bodies and even the users must put an end to this situation and fight counterfeit products", he defended.
ANIFA, made up of around 20 multinational companies that have been operating in Angola for years and formally constituted in 2021, presented its governing bodies and objectives for the 2023 mandate this Thursday.
ANIFA's main mission, explained its president, is to represent its members in the defense of their common interests, prioritizing the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products available in Angola in favor of the population's health.
Stimulating actions that contribute to the development and progress of pharmaceutical activity in Angola, namely in areas such as the regulation of the sector, the quality and safety of medicines is also part of ANIFA's purposes.
Regarding the regulation of the sector, Nuno Cardoso recalled that the executive has already implemented a series of legislative norms aimed at regulating medicines in Angola, only their operationalization is lacking.
"But operationalization is lacking, which we know is not easy, because technical resources are often lacking, human resources are lacking, but ANIFA is also here, precisely, to contribute to the Ministry of Health so that drug registrations are a reality in a few years", he stressed.
Pharmacovigilance and regulation, he insisted, are among the "specific challenges" of the association, noting that the international experience of ANIFA members can help the Angolan authorities to install the quality laboratory.
"It is essential for us to analyze the quality or not of the medicines and then we would be able to understand which medicines are counterfeit and which, in fact, are of quality and then we have other issues that I believe are long-term, namely the question of the price of medicines", argued.
"These are more difficult issues, but we are available to talk to the Ministry of Health and find solutions for the health sector in Angola", concluded the president of ANIFA.
The companies Basi, Bial, Merk, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi form part of the board of this association. The board of the general meeting is chaired by Bluepharma and the supervisory board is made up of Generis and Jaba Recordati.
