PSGH urges government to expedite clearance of critical health commodities

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has urged the government to immediately clear the remaining global health fund medical products to prevent future shortages and ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of health commodities.

In a statement, PSGH highlighted that the delayed containers include life-saving medications such as artesunate injections for severe malaria, tuberculosis (TB) medicines, malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test

Read full articleKits (RDTs), and GeneXpert cartridges for TB diagnosis.

Prolonged delays in clearing these containers could lead to severe consequences, including a complete stock-out of malaria RDTs, hampering timely diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, a shortage of TB medicines could result in treatment defaults, increasing the risk of drug-resistant TB.

PSGH emphasized that these disruptions threaten the health of Ghanaians and undermine progress in combating HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. The organization called for policies to expedite tax and levy waivers on essential health commodities and ensure the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) verifies their quality before distribution.

PSGH also urged the Ministry of Health (MOH) to address a $844,046 reimbursement issue with the Global Fund to avoid losing $1.6 million from the current grant cycle, stressing the need for sustainable solutions and robust domestic financing for health programs.