Tuesday, 25th February, 2025
Hon Kwabena Mintah Akandoh
Juaboso
I am most grateful, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to address the House on an urgent global public concern that I inherited.
Mr Speaker, the increasing infiltration of illicit opioids into our country is indeed a matter of grave public health and national security concern. Thank you for the opportunity to share an insight into the key issues related to the growing threat that illegal opioids pose to the health and safety of our people, especially the youth.
Mr Speaker, opioids serve a critical role in modern medicine, providing relief from pain. However, their misuse has led to devastating addiction crises worldwide, and Ghana is no exception. In West Africa, unregulated painkillers flood local markets often smuggled through weak border controls and distributed by criminal networks.
Mr Speaker, Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has confirmed that ongoing market surveillance has uncovered unregistered Tramadol brands (Trafanol, Tarapamol, Tramaking) entering the country through unapproved routes. In Ghana, Tramadol abuse has already caused significant social and health problems, particularly among young people. High doses of Tramadol, often far exceeding what is legally allowed for medical use, have been found in circulation, leading to severe addiction, mental health issues and even deaths.
What is most alarming, Mr Speaker, is that this crisis has now evolved beyond Tramadol. The Ministry of Health and the FDA have taken note of the recent BBC Africa Eye investigative report released four days ago exposing the alleged exportation of unapproved drugs containing Tapentadol, a powerful opioid, and Carisoprodol as key active ingredients. These drugs, produced by the Indian pharmaceutical firm, Aveo Pharmaceuticals, and distributed through Westfin International, have reportedly entered West African markets, including Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Ghana.
It is worth noting that, Mr Speaker, Tafradol and other TapentadolCarisoprodol combinations have never been registered for use in Ghana, and no import permits have been issued for them. The investigation has raised serious concerns about regulatory oversight and border enforcement. We should ask ourselves the following questions: how have these unregistered opioids found their way into our markets? Who is responsible? And what measures must we take to ensure this does not happen again?
Response to the Rising Opioid Crisis:
Mr Speaker, prior to the recent exposé, the Ministry of Health and its regulatory agencies had already taken steps to mitigate the risks associated with opioid misuse by doing the following: Reclassification of Tramadol as a control drug: Recognising the widespread abuse of Tramadol, regulations were introduced to limit its sale, manufacture, and distribution. Tramadol sale is restricted to prescription use only. Similarly, we banned the manufacture and sale of codeine-containing cough syrups. Seizure and interception of unauthorised opioids: Several shipments of unregistered opioids were intercepted at our borders over recent years, preventing their entry into the market.
Market Surveillance and Regulatory Enforcement:
Regular inspections of pharmacies and over-the-counter (OTC) medicine sellers were conducted, leading to the removal of unauthorised opioid products. Prosecution of Offenders: Currently, six Over-The-Counter Medicine Sellers (OTCMS) in the Ahafo Region are being prosecuted for the illegal sale and distribution of tramadol and other opioids. In addition to the above actions,
Mr Speaker, in recent years, we have had major seizures and disposal of illicit opioids. Please permit me to highlight a few: December 18, 2023, a container declared for transit to Niger was found to contain; 181 cartons of Royal 225mg (Tapentadol + Carisoprodol); 51 cartons of Timaking 120mg (Tapentadol + Carisoprodol); 90 cartons of Tafradol 120mg. These were seized and disposed of following a court order on January 16, 2025, with destruction completed on February 21, 2025. On May 2024, a joint enforcement team intercepted 376 cartons of Tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg (Tramaking 225mg) concealed among laboratory coveralls. A court order in October 2024 authorised their destruction. Despite these efforts, Mr Speaker, it is clear that these actions have not been sufficient to prevent illicit opioids from entering the country through illegal channels.
Mr Speaker, I will now highlight some of the actions that the health sector has taken in response to the crisis, especially in the past few days following the BBC Africa Eye Investigation.
Immediate actions taken after the BBC Africa Eye exposé Mr Speaker, following the revelations of the BBC Africa Eye findings on Aveo Pharmaceuticals and Westfin International’s involvement in illegal opioid distribution, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the regulatory and security agencies, took immediate and decisive action.
The FDA has directed Samos Pharma to immediately cease using these companies as exporters of registered products to Ghana. Additionally, the FDA has suspended the processing of Masters Pharmaceutical Limited’s application, which uses Aveo Pharmaceuticals as a contract manufacturer.
Tighter border inspections and enforcement: A joint task force, involving the FDA, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Customs, and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) have intensified checks at major entry points to prevent further unauthorised imports leading to the destruction of large consignments of Tafrodol and similar drugs. Increased monitoring of over-thecounter (OTC) drug sales: Inspections have been intensified, unauthorised opioids seized, and legal action taken against offenders.
Public awareness and consumer protection measures:
A national education campaign has been launched to warn the public about the dangers of illicit opioid use and encourage responsible medication practices.
Next Steps: Strengthening regulatory oversight and enforcement
Mr Speaker, while these immediate actions have helped to contain the situation, more needs to be done to permanently shut down the supply of illicit opioids into Ghana. We have noted the following challenges that impede effective response which require urgent attention:
i.Unmanned borders allow for the illegal movement of opioids into Ghana;
ii. Limited inspection capacity for transit goods destined for other countries enables unregistered drugs to leak into the Ghanaian market;
iii. Intelligence-sharing mechanisms between the FDA, Customs, and NACOC needed to improve enforcement outcomes are suboptimal.
Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Health, will therefore collaborate with the relevant bodies on the following initiatives: strengthening market surveillance and compliance monitoring; strengthening import controls and licensing; enhancing law enforcement and inter-agency collaboration, and strengthening international cooperation.
Need for inter-agency response Mr Speaker, it is important to note the critical need for an inter-agency response to this crisis. The FDA works closely with multiple Government and security agencies to enhance enforcement, intelligence sharing, and regulatory compliance Inter-Agency enforcement and raids: The FDA carries out joint enforcement actions with the Ghana Police Service, Pharmacy Council Ghana, Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), National Security, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Port Health Authority, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Local Government Authorities. These teams conduct raids, market surveillance, and manage disposal of confiscated drugs to remove illicit opioids from circulation. Border and import control collaboration: GRA (Customs Division) and NACOC assist the FDA in monitoring entry points and intercepting illicit shipments of opioid. These joint operations at porous borders have resulted in major drug seizures.
A United Front Against Opioid Abuse Mr Speaker, in conclusion, the opioid crisis is not just a health issue, but a national emergency. The Ministry of Health has acted swiftly in response to these findings, but more work remains. More importantly, I would like to emphasise that we need a coordinated and sustained response from all relevant sectors and the public. Together, we must close the loopholes, tighten the rules, and hold those responsible for the crises accountable. Ghana must not become a safe haven for illicit opioids, and must not become a hub for opioid abuse and trafficking.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings
Korle Klottey
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by the Minister for Health.
Mr Speaker, Ghana is well-known to be a hub and transit point for illicit drugs, but this particular phenomenon that we are witnessing is quite shocking. As a matter of fact, in my constituency, we have the Nii Amugi Cluster of Schools where people who are addicted to drugs have actually invaded the premises and harassed the children and teachers. In the last three weeks, one of the security personnel in the school was attacked by a gang of drug addicts and is now at the 37 Military Hospital in a coma.
Mr Speaker, the ramifications of this illicit drug inflow into Ghana goes beyond the large scale, but it is affecting people’s lives, the security in our schools, and the security of the lives of ordinary citizens. The law enforcement agencies, responsible for this need to be strengthened. We had, up until a few weeks ago, a collaboration between the United States Government, specifically the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Government of Ghana (GoG) in helping to combat some of these trans-national crime and illicit drug use.
Since the suspension of this, I believe that may have contributed to what we are seeing. We need to re-engage some of these international agencies, strengthen our capacity to monitor what goes on at our borders, and ensure that when we actually track down these criminals, the prosecution and effective implementation of our regulations is actually done in order to be a disincentive for those who wish to use Ghana as a transit point. Our youth are really increasingly becoming a target of all of this.
Mr Speaker, this is a national security issue because it affects our country in so many ways. It is affecting so many sectors and would probably require a whole multi-dimensional approach in order to effectively deal with this issue. This is a matter that is affecting a lot of communities. My constituency has a high level of addiction; it has a lot of young people who are addicted to drugs. Unfortunately, this is an issue that has been swept under the rug for too long, and it is my prayer that, given the exposé that has happened and the global embarrassment that we see now, we would take this issue of addiction and mental health and how we address the way drugs are used in this country very seriously.
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.
Hon Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi
Asante Akim Central
Mr Speaker, thank you, and may I congratulate the Minister for Health for the Statement he has made to the country in drawing our attention.
Mr Speaker, pardon my ignorance, but it looks like this opium is becoming a serious matter in the country. I heard the Minister talk about the fact that some arrests were made, they were taken to court, and the court gave an order that the substance be destroyed.
I, however, did not hear whether the destruction was effected. Another serious matter is when something that is not good for the country is directed to be destroyed; yet, it finds its way back into the country. So, from the Minister’s Statement, one would realise that the law enforcement agencies are already working, but I would want to draw the Minister’s attention that Customs Division of the GRA controls the borders. I did not also hear the Minister talk about the Narcotics Control Board, which we have in the country I did not hear; that is what I said.
So, I would want the Minister to work very hard, so that these two institutions would collaborate. Because when they are found in the country, it is very difficult to control. The police may not be able to track them all. But when they are coming towards the borders, they have to know. I have not seen one before but I believe that some officials of the Customs Service may not even know what kind of substance we are talking about, unless they are trained. The Minister for Health must make a conscious effort so that there would be collaboration between the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and the Customs Excise Division, to make sure that this menace is brought to a halt.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Hon Titus Kofi Beyuo
Lambussie
Mr Speaker, thank you very much. I want to commend the Minister for Health and the Ministry for the swift action and also the agencies under the Ministry of Health for handling what appears to be a national public health crisis.
Mr Speaker, opioids are good servants but bad masters. They are drugs used to manage moderate to very severe pain and are, therefore, very useful in the health system. However, if unregulated, they can be very devastating. These drugs when consumed, work on the brain and bring what we call euphoria, which is what they would call in layman's term the “high”.
Therefore, they also exhibit something called pharmacologic tolerance, which is that with subsequent consumption, one needs to take higher doses to have the same effect. The youth who engage in these drugs easily get addicted and have to take higher doses to get the same effect they had before. These drugs are causing a lot of damage to our youth. The issue raised by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Eye investigation, in my view, smacks of deliberate poisoning. Because these drugs were not made for any medical purpose.
They have never been used anywhere and the combination is a terrible combination of a potent Maxol-MR, a relaxant and a very addictive opioid. When you take these two combined in one formulation, it is unacceptable. I want to commend the Ministry of Health for what they are doing. For us as a people, our biggest concern is that addiction would have a serious drain on us. Addictions are better prevented than managed. As a country, public rehabilitation centres are not more than three.
We have very few rehabilitation centres and the outcomes of rehabilitation, especially of drug addiction are also not very promising. For every 10 patients who go to rehabilitation, just three to five may successfully get out of it. Relapse is very high. So, for those who get hooked on it, getting out becomes a serious challenge. I would want to commend the Ministry of Health, but ask that serious intersectoral collaboration is needed.
This is as a result of pure regulatory failure. This House has passed several laws, including the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), the Food and Drugs (FDA) Act, 1996 (Act 523) and all these empower state agencies as the Ghana Police Service, Pharmacy Council among others. But what is happening is that it looks like almost all these agencies have failed us in one way or the other. I would urge the Minister that as they are going through the administrative processes, we should also ensure that the criminal processes are followed. Because if one brings an unregistered drug into the country, it is a crime and those who commit that crime must be punished.
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity.
Hon Davis Ansah Opoku
Mpraeso
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Mr Speaker, I want to commend the Minister for bringing to the attention of the entire country this national canker. Indeed, the opioid intake in our country is a worrying trend. Now what the youth do is that they do not only take the tramadol, but mix tramadol with energy drinks, which contributes to their “highness”. Virtually, at every assembly of young people that one sees in this country, one would realise that practice is going on.
In my Constituency, sometimes, I find out from the young people how they are able to get tramadol. They tell me that now there are ghettos that sell tramadol like the likes of “weed” as we call them, are sold in ghettos, et cetera. People have tramadol in their bags and at all times when they need it, they apply it. This is a challenge. I remember when I was involved in an accident and admitted at the Ridge Hospital—The intake of opioids was quite regulated. But one could easily get it. Doctors could prescribe it for a person. At a point, even me, I was nearly getting used to it. Every time the pain comes, one would ring bells, calling on their doctors to, as it were, prescribe the medicine for them.
Mr Speaker, last year, when I travelled to Germany for another medical procedure, I realised that, before opioid is prescribed for anyone, one needs to see a pain doctor. When the pain doctor prescribes for the individual, one would take the prescription to a pharmacy and would not get the medicine on the counter of the pharmacy.
So, what they do is that one has to submit their prescription to the pharmacy and is given a period of six hours to come back for their medicine. Then we asked why they did that? What we found out was that such serious drugs are not found in the pharmacies. They are regulated and controlled somewhere. So, if one’s prescription is brought, they would now send it to those centres and it gets delivered to the person. So, when that is done, then the entire ecosystem of opioids is regulated. But in our system, that is not what is happening. Every pharmacy that you go to, when one mention that one wants to purchase tramadol and pethidine, one would get it.
Mr Speaker, with all these drugs that make one “high” when one goes to our pharmacies and present to them a prescription—Such prescriptions, we do not even know the hospitals that are prescribing them and whether they are from qualified doctors or people sat in their homes and just used some coreldraw or some papers to prescribe them, we do not even know. So, we and the Hon Minister for Health ought to look at it very well. How we control such drugs in the system is very important. For me, I think we need to start punishing pharmacies that easily release these drugs to our young people. It is destroying our youth and I think it is important that we find a way of having a stricter control in the release of such drugs.
Mr Speaker, thank you very much.
Hon Felicia Adjei
Kintampo South
Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the Statement made by the Hon Minister for Health.
Mr Speaker, in the Seventh Parliament, I made a Statement on tramadol. I do not know how tramadol got into the system. I remember one time while on my campaign tour, I met one gentleman, who looked like he was almost dead. In fact, when I saw him, I thought the guy had passed out. So, I was told that, “Hon Member, he is fine and he would be all right.” I said that is all right. But at least I asked to take him to the hospital. They said that I should leave him alone and that he would be fine.
Mr Speaker, true to their words, when I came back in about five hours’ time, I saw the guy seated and eating. Then I asked what had happened to him at the time. They said it was as a result of his intake of tramadol which they refer to as “tramol” in the villages. Those boys who go around our communities with bicycles and even others with motorbikes—They sell all kinds of medicine. They can give one medicine for anything. Yes, they can give one medicine for even vaginal infection.
Mr Speaker, the last time I went to the United States of America (USA), I think it was around Spring, and I always have allergies within that period—There is this medicine called Keractine D. Then I realised that if I bought one pack, I would have to come back to the pharmacy. So, I decided to buy two packs instead. But I was told that I could not do that and even I had to show them my identification card (ID). There are certain communities here in Ghana where Tramadol is sold over the counter; meanwhile, it is a prescribed medication. I was sick and was given Doreta; then I asked my doctor why he gave me that medication because I had been sleeping all day. That was when I realised that Doreta had Tramadol inside.
Mr Speaker, I thank the Minister for Health. Honestly, it is about time we took charge and control over this Tramadol because it is destroying the youth. Just recently, I found out that Tramadol has about 250 milligrams.
Mr Speaker, I know people who take this medicine; it is really destroying our youth. I heard that when anybody who is a farmer takes one, it can help them to weed about one acre. The person might be 30 years, but when you see him, it is like he is 60 years. Tramadol is destroying our boys, especially the youth. I am glad that the Minister is here, and he made the Statement himself. In fact, we believe and trust in the Minister, and that is why he is here.
Mr Speaker, this is long overdue. Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity, and we thank the Minister for Health too.
Hon Fred Kyei Asamoah
Offinso North
Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and let us thank the maker of the Statement, the Hon Minister for Health.
Mr Speaker, each one of us will experience a certain type of pain, one way or the other, in our lives, so the need for a pain medication is critical. All of us would one day need a muscle relaxer, so the need for us to have muscle relaxers in the system is also critical. But, with what we are seeing in Ghana, this opioid crisis is about to hit us to the level that it can be likened to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Mr Speaker, the brand name of Tapentadol is Nucynta, and it was first approved in the USA in 2008 and 2011 and has been in existence. They call it Schedule II drug because the level of addiction is even higher than Tramadol. It has been in existence, and they have been using it. So, if one looks at the Carisoprodol which is the muscle relaxer, it is one of the oldest drugs that has generic on it and has been used all this while. The issue here is that, firstly, this Statement should have even been done in collaboration with the Minister for the Interior because it is not only the issue of the Minister for Health, but it involves export and import.
That is the first issue. If we can regulate the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and our ports, then we would be able to find what is coming in and what is going out. This active ingredient could even come into the country as a raw material before it can be used to produce the drug. So, I believe that this Statement should have had the Minister for the Interior and the Minister for Health give us a joint strategy as to how they are going to curb this menace.
Mr Speaker, after that, we would come to what we call the local manufacturing industry. The local pharmaceutical industry is supposed to be strengthened and given enough resources, so that we can start producing these drugs within our country; then we can properly regulate it. If we are not allowing— Because they are generics; these drugs are not the original brands of the drug coming from India. Sometimes, we have countries like the USA, Europe and others coming up with these new drugs, and we tend to produce the generics.
This country has enough experts whose capacity we can build and also build the local pharmaceutical industry with enough resources, so that we can produce it here. In that case, we can have proper supervision. When we produce it here, then the issue of internal regulation becomes something FDA, the Pharmacy Council and the Medical and Dental Council—This is because it is not only the dispenser, but we can have the pharmacy dispensing basics based on the prescription. But we have medical doctors who also tend to write these prescription drugs for people for improper use.
So, Mr Speaker, this is something that we have to refer to a Committee to have a further engagement on how we, as a country, would not go further—Because if Tramadol can cause this defect to our country, Nucynta would make it worse. So, it is critical that we have a joint Statement or direction coming from both the Minister for Health and the Minister for the Interior, and we would look at what other countries that have dealt with this opioid crisis over the years have done. We do not have to reinvent the wheel, and I believe we can do a good job.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Mark Kurt Nawaane
Nabdam
Thank you, Mr Speaker for the opportunity, and I want to thank the Minister for Health for acting promptly to bring this Statement to Parliament. We were discussing it on our platform to ensure that we have such a Statement on the floor of Parliament.
Mr Speaker, today’s discussion is not new as such. Over the years, there have been drugs that have come into the system to destroy our youth, medical staff, et cetera. There was a time when we had Pethidine, a drug that when a person gives himself or herself as an injection, even though it is a painkiller, it would also give the person the symptoms that I would soon be mentioning. After that, so many other drugs have come to pass like Toradol, and now it has come to the turn of Tramadol. Those out there have realised that they have carried out a lot of education on Tramadol, so they now want to change it.
They are bringing in new drugs that we do not know of. Everybody now knows about Tramadol because of the good education that we have carried out even though it is still being used and abused. They are bringing in new drugs like Tapentadol, Carisoprodol, et cetera. These appear to be new, but their effects are the same; they would cause a person depression, drowsiness, respiratory depression, that is difficulty in breathing, coma and, possibly, the person can even die.
Let me stress the “die” for people to know that, today, we are talking about drugs that can kill them by just taking them. Yes, they are medicines that have been approved in some countries and, probably, might be subjected to the same process here in Ghana, but they are medicines that need to be controlled and need a person to prescribe and dispense it. They should not be sold openly. Now, they are finding their way into the country in quantities beyond what medical care needs.
I want to appeal to the FDA to look at this problem holistically in approving any drug that will come into the society. Sometimes, they are coming to do the same thing, but we already have a drug that is providing that service.
What is the need to bring in some new drugs? We should have statistics. We should know the amount of such drugs that are prescribed yearly for people, and know that if we bring in, for example, a thousand tablets of Tramadol, that is enough for the patients in Ghana here. We should not just allow people to import any quantity, because it is Tramadol and it is used at the hospitals, they should just bring in any quantity that they want. No, that should not be the case. We should have data, and out of the data, we should restrict the importation of such drugs.
Thank you very much.
Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh
Nsawam/Adoagyiri
Mr Speaker, let me commend my Friend for the Statement. We want to be seeing more of this from the Ministers.
Earlier, he was in the House to make a Statement on cholera and meningitis, and I know he has been very busy lately. I think professionals have spoken. I have heard Dr Nawaane speak. We have all spoken. One thing that is clear is that we have to step up our monitoring. Our monitoring mechanisms have to be stepped up, and not limited to this drug alone. There are other similar concerns, and so we should be able to pick these signals well ahead of time.
Mr Speaker, for me, that is the crux of the matter, and if we are able to do that, we would be able to have good control. We want to encourage our Minister. I know he is passionate and very dedicated to duty. They have to push forward and make sure we step up our monitoring mechanisms. I could not have agreed more with my senior Colleague when he mentioned our borders. What we can do is to step up our borders, and also create awareness for citizens who are manning our borders to know what we are talking about. What are these drugs or category of drugs, so that they can even identify them when they see them. If they are not carried along—So we want to, I know the Budget is now coming, but this is an emergency matter.
Mr Speaker, we have to implore the Exchequer, who is also one of our own, Dr Ato Forson, and we would have to release some liquidity. I see my Minister is distressed; the Hon Akandoh is distressed. He needs liquidity. He must be given some liquidity. We are charging on him; I would say it. We are charging on him to do more; to carry all the stakeholders along. He needs the liquidity.
Mr Speaker, the Exchequer must be directed. If you would bear with me, I would plead your consequential directives. The Exchequer should be directed to release some funding. I know the previous Government left some good funding. He should be given some funding for him to hit the ground running.
Mr Speaker, this is a serious matter, and I hope that the Minister for Health would be strengthened enough in all force, so that he would be strong enough to hit the ground running to ensure that we bring the situation under control. But I must commend him, and he should forgive me. I was not trying to prevent him from presenting his Statement. It was on some other matters. He knows I would never do that to him.
Mr Speaker, I thank you, and I think that we have to support him and give him all the needed support to be able to do what he has to do. Mr Speaker, thank you.
Hon Sebastian Ngmenenso Sandaare
Daffiama/Bussie/Issa
Mr Speaker, thank you very much and thank you, Leader, for the opportunity.
Mr Speaker, a lot has been said. I also commend the Minister for Health for the very quick response in terms of coming to the House to let us know and to let Ghanaians know about this issue of public health crisis that really needs urgent concern.
Mr Speaker, what we are discussing is the tip of the iceberg. There is a lot happening out there that has not yet come to our attention. Thanks to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that has revealed this menace.
Mr Speaker, we are dealing with drugs or substances that people, especially our youth, take to feel “high”. Mr Speaker, why do they want to feel “high”, and why do they need a substance to feel “high”?
Mr Speaker, that arises due to unemployment, and that is one of the issues that we have to tackle. So, the issue has to be tackled using a multidisciplinary approach. Some youth take it to feel “high” to do what they want; either to commit crimes—
Mr Speaker, some take these drugs to feel “high” to have good sex. And some ladies feel good. They feel “high” on the road. Some people could meet another person on the road and shoot him; they do not just do it ordinarily. They do it because they feel “high”.
Mr Speaker, once again, I thank the Hon Minister and say that, like the Minority Chief Whip has said, we need to invest in pharmacovigilance. It is not today that this menace has been happening, but we could not pick it up. Meaning that we need to invest and support our regulatory bodies to have adequate funding to be able to do what the law mandates them to do. That is where the problem is and I know that the Minister for Health is up to the task. When he was the Ranking Member for Health, he was pushing for adequate funding for the FDA and other bodies. So, I know His Excellency the President and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government would work hard to strengthen FDA and other bodies to deliver.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
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