2 August 2018 – The Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Humanitarian Aid Commission, and WHO – the Cluster Lead Agency for Health in Sudan – met to update Sudan’s medicines purchase and import regulations policy.

The meeting was attended by 107 participants representing the health cluster partners, including donors, stakeholders, and counterparts from local health authorities. 

The meeting aimed at developing a plan of action to facilitate the introduction of new regulations for the import and purchase of medicines and medical equipment for national and international organizations working in different response areas in Sudan. It also discussed procedures for the clearance and transfer of medicines through the National Medical Supplies Funds, in addition to methods of operation, storage, and certified common purchasing windows.

“This workshop will orient all national and international organizations on the ground with the national procedures and regulations governing medical supplies cycle in Sudan,” said H.E Mr. Bahr Idris Abu Garda, Federal Minister of Health. “The National Medicines and Poisons Board in the Federal Ministry of Health is the national authority for specifying, controlling, and regulating the importation, manufacturing, storage, pricing, and even the deportation of fake medicines and cosmetics in accordance with the national standards,” he added. 

Drug control in Sudan has been strong over the past 5 decades. It controlled the practices related to the treatment and phahas witnessed several negative practices in recent years like fake or low-quality medicine imports. 

“Our main objective is to share WHO-certified regulations governing the purchase and import of medicine and medical supplies in Sudan with the Health Sector and Health Cluster partners,” said the Federal Humanitarian Aid Commission representative Dr Mohamed Mustafa El Senarri. 

“Medicines and medical supplies are very important commodities for community health, and improving the quality of health services provided by governmental, private and organizational health facilities, will certainly cut down the cost allocated to citizens health” he added.

The drug market in Sudan has been monitored by a supervisory authority with central and state inspections of factories and pharmacies. However, the WHO Drugs and Toxins Act of 2009 Article 6 highlights that laboratory analysis prior to the marketing of pharmaceuticals and post-marketing examination is an important part of the procedures for ensuring the safety and quality of the purchased drug.

“Fair and honest access to safe medicines and safe medical technology of high quality and efficiency is a priority of health,” said Dr Naeema Al Gasseer WHO Representative in Sudan.