The Food and Drugs Authority (or FDA, formerly known as the Food and Drugs Board) is a Ghanaian government agency responsible for the inspection, certification, and proper distribution of foods and food products as well as drugs in Ghana.The FDA exists to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of human and veterinary drugs, food, biological products, cosmetics, medical devices, household.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) operates under the authority granted by Parts 6, 7, and 8 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).[1] Its role includes establishing and enforcing standards for the production, importation, exportation, sale, and distribution of food, drugs (herbal, allopathic, and veterinary), cosmetics, medical devices, household chemicals, tobacco products, blood, and blood products, as well as overseeing the regulation of clinical trials, all aimed at protecting public health and safety.[1]
The board was established by the Food and Drugs Law 1992, PNDC Law 305B.[2] Delese A. A. Darko is currently the CEO of FDA.[3] In May 2020, the FDA was recognized by the World Health Organization as a Level Three listed institution.[4]
History
editThe Food and Drugs Board was initially established under the Food and Drugs Law of 1992 (PNDCL 305B) and later amended by the Food and Drugs (Amendment) Act 523 of 1996 to mandate salt fortification for addressing nutritional deficiencies and align the law with the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.[5][6]
Prior to 1990, the regulation of drugs and pharmacy practice was governed by the Pharmacy and Drugs Act (Act 64) of 1961. However, in 1990, the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) enacted the Narcotics Drugs Control, Enforcement and Sanctions Law (PNDCL 236), establishing the Narcotics Control Board to combat the growing issue of drug abuse and the international challenges posed by illicit drug trafficking.[5][6]
In 1992, the PNDC separated the regulation of non-narcotic drugs from the practice of pharmacy, leading to the enactment of the Food and Drugs Law, 1992 (PNDC 305B). This law governed the production, import, export, distribution, use, and advertising of food, drugs, cosmetics, chemical substances, and medical devices.[5]
Later, the Pharmacy Act, 1994 (Act 489), established the Pharmacy Council to oversee the pharmacy profession and pharmacist registration. Although the Food and Drugs Law was passed in 1992, the inaugural board was not formed until August 26, 1997.[5] In 2012, the Food and Drugs Board transitioned into the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) with the enactment of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).[5][6]
The FDA has promoted the "Fight the Fakes" campaign, which aims to inform Ghanaians about the dangers of substandard and falsified medicines.[7][8] In 2023, the FDA approved a malaria vaccine created by University of Oxford researchers, making Ghana the first country to approve it for use.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Food And Drugs Authority – Your Well-being, Our Priority". Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ "Food and Drugs Board". Food and Drugs Authority Ghana. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
- ^ "FDA dismisses claims of advertising, appointing agencies to recruit on its behalf - MyJoyOnline.com". MyJoyonline. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
- ^ "WHO Names Ghana's FDA As Africa's Second Best Regulator". Modern Ghana. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
- ^ a b c d e "History – Food And Drugs Authority". Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ a b c Sokpe, Sellassie (2023-04-14). "History of the Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana". betterghanadigest.com. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
- ^ Knott, Stacey (2020-04-30). "Covid-19 could mark a deadly turn in Ghana's fight against fake drugs". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
- ^ "#FightTheFakes: How the Ghanaian Food and Drugs Authority is fighting fake medicines". Fleming Fund. 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
- ^ Grover, Natalie; Rigby, Jennifer; Rigby, Jennifer (2023-04-14). "Ghana first to approve Oxford's malaria vaccine". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-04-22.
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