This statement was delivered by the World Heart Federation on behalf of Fight the Fakes Alliance at the 156th session of the WHO Executive Board:
Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates,
The World Heart Federation, supported by the Fight the Fakes Alliance, welcomes the independent evaluation of the Member State Mechanism on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products.
Globally, countries waste an estimated 30.5 USD billion annually on substandard and falsified medical products. In addition, WHO estimates that 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified, endangering lives and eroding trust in health systems.
We strongly support the recommendation on improving external engagement with non-State actors, such as our alliance, and call on WHO to continue its work against substandard and falsified medical products. We stand ready to work with Member States, WHO, civil society, regulatory agencies, law enforcement, custom officers, manufacturers, distributors, healthcare workers, and all relevant stakeholders to ensure universal access to safe, effective, and high-quality medical products.
The following statements were delivered by other organizations:
United States Pharmacopeial Convention
Honorable Chair, Distinguished Delegates,
The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is an independent, scientific nonprofit organization focused on building trust in the supply of safe, quality medicines.
SF medical products cause more than one million deaths per year, waste national resources, and undermine decades of global health progress. And the problem is only getting worse.
The work of the Member State Mechanism on SF Medical Products remains as relevant as ever.
Accordingly, USP welcomes the recommendations of the independent evaluation of the MSM and strongly supports the recommendation on increasing engagement and involvement with non-State actors.
USP has been a committed partner to the MSM since its inception. Most recently, USP served on the Writing Team for the WHO Draft Guideline: Good Practices for Risk-Based Market Surveillance and Control of Medical Products by National Regulatory Authorities. We welcome more opportunities to support the important work of the MSM.
Thank you.
Union for International Cancer Control
UICC welcomes the report on the Independent Evaluation of the Member State Mechanism on Substandard and Falsified Medical Products. Alarmingly, at least 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified, including cancer medicines and antibiotics.
To ensure the improved implementation of the mechanism, we urge Member States to:
Increase financial support to better implement the mechanism and enhance technical expertise, reporting processes and increased member state participation
Establish robust accountability pathways for continuous monitoring and evaluation of the mechanism
Improve engagement with relevant stakeholders, including the NCD community, to increase expertise in areas like strengthening regulatory capacity.
International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation
Honourable Chair, Distinguished delegates,
The International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF), founded in 1949, now represents 500,000 pharmacy students in over 100 countries worldwide.
As pharmacists, we ensure medication safety and protect lives. IPSF combats substandard and falsified products through advocacy, education, and its Fight the Fake Alliance role, organising annual campaigns to help members spot fake drugs and risks.
IPSF urges action to eradicate substandard and falsified medical products that harm millions and undermine health systems. IPSF calls on WHO and Member States to:
1. Integrate pharmacists into the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System as key contributors in identifying and reporting counterfeit drugs.
2. Train pharmacy students on substandard and falsified medicines by urging academic institutions to integrate the topic into curricula.
Thank you for your attention.
International Pharmaceutical Federation
Honourable Chair, Distinguished Delegates,
Thank you for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) the global organisation representing over four million pharmacists worldwide.
We welcome the WHO Member State mechanism’s efforts to address substandard and falsified (SF) medical products and facilitate stakeholder collaboration.
FIP’s collaboration with WHO highlights the crucial role of pharmacists in detecting and reporting SF products. Well-trained pharmacists, health care professionals with their direct patient access, in community and hospital settings can swiftly detect SF products in supply chains, report them to authorities, and educate and advise affected patients.
FIP’s collaboration with WHO resulted in a competency framework and comprehensive course for pharmacy students that were implemented in African universities. We are pleased to see WHO expanded the course for educational and regulatory institutions around the world.
Thank you for your attention.
