Fight the Fakes Alliance (FtFA) hosted a reception event alongside the 78th World Health Assembly on Wednesday, 21 May 2025.
Andrea Vassalotti, Chair of FtFA, opened the reception which was then punctuated by short interventions from international organizations and civil society, including FtFA members World Patients Alliance and US Pharmacopeia.
We were grateful to hear from both the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization, who provided valuable insights on the scale of the falsified medicines crisis—not only from a public health perspective, but also highlighting the significant challenges it poses for trade and customs authorities.
Photo from top to bottom, left to right: Andrea Vassalotti, Director of Partnerships and Programmes, World Heart Federation and Chair of FtFA; Chris Colwell, Vice President, International Government & Regulatory Affairs, USP Pharmacopeia; Josefita Pardo de Leon, Counsellor, Special Coordinator for Trade and Public Health, World Trade Organization; Rutendo Kuwana, Team Lead for Substandard and Falsified medicines Incidents, Technical Assistance and Laboratory Services, World Health Organization; and Dr Hussain Jafri, CEO, World Patients Alliance.
During the evening, powerful patient stories were shared, and we got inspired by the commitment of partners and FtFA members working to ensure safe, effective medicines for all.
We were also delighted to announce the election of our new Vice-Chair Mike Schmitz US Pharmacopeia, who has been a dedicated advocate for the Alliance and will now join forces with our Chair Andrea Vassalotti, World Heart Federation, and Christopher Goetz, IFPW Foundation.
