Nairobi: The Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health, Aden Duale, has instructed the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) to ensure strict adherence to regulations and to take decisive action against any parties compromising the health and safety of Kenyans.
According to Kenya News Agency, during his first official visit to the Board, CS Duale emphasized the urgent need to eliminate all substandard, falsified, poor-quality, counterfeit, and unregistered medicines from the Kenyan market. He stressed that individuals or entities involved in their distribution or sale must face arrest and prosecution.
CS Duale highlighted the necessity for parallel importation to comply with the Pharmacy and Poisons (Parallel Imported Medicinal Substances) Rules, 2019. He instructed the Board to enhance surveillance efforts to halt the illegal leasing of licenses, underscoring Kenya’s dedication to fortifying its regulatory framework as the nation strives to achieve World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 (ML3) for health products and technologies.
In his discussions with the PPB leadership, CS Duale focused on addressing challenges and implementing sustainable solutions for Kenya’s Taifa Care Model. He urged the team to maintain transparency, accountability, and integrity, as outlined in Chapter Six of the Constitution, while cultivating an environment conducive to effective service delivery.
Furthermore, the CS outlined measures to safeguard Kenyans, including mandating that the Social Health Authority (SHA) will not reimburse any medicine not certified by PPB. He also noted the introduction of a track-and-trace system to monitor medicines from their source to the final point of distribution.
Addressing the staff, Duale reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritizes healthcare in national development. He stated that through BETA, the Government aims to strengthen Universal Health Coverage, improve access to essential medicines, and expand local pharmaceutical manufacturing to boost health outcomes and economic growth.
CS Duale’s visit was hosted by the PPB leadership, led by Board Chairperson Dr. John Munyu, and accompanied by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms. Mary Muthoni.
