Dr. Teedoh E. Beyslow, Deputy Director of Pharmacovigilance at the Liberia Medicine and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA), has concluded a four-day regional workshop in Nairobi, Kenya.
The training focused on strengthening the capabilities of participating countries in detecting and managing substandard and falsified medicines and health products. Dr. Beyslow highlighted the critical role of vigilance in protecting public health, drawing on his extensive experience, including his previous position as Inspector General, which underscores his expertise in identifying counterfeit medications.
Research shows that approximately 14% of medicines in low- and middle-income countries are of poor quality, with Africa experiencing a rate of around 19%. The most impacted categories are antimalarials (19%) and antibiotics (12.4%).
Expressing his appreciation, Dr. Beyslow thanked the World Health Organization (WHO) and LMHRA for the opportunity to participate in this important training. He emphasized that the program enhances the authority’s capacity to verify pharmaceutical authenticity and called for continued personnel development within the inspectorate.
The workshop brought together numerous pharmaceutical experts committed to combating substandard drugs across the participating nations.
Founded by legislation in 2010, LMHRA is mandated by law to ensure that all health products imported into Liberia are safe for public use and meet regulatory standards.