15 January 2002

WHO Cites Development of Medicine Supply System in Afghanistan

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced January 15 that it is working with the Afghan Ministry of Health to establish a supply and monitoring system for medicines imported into the country.

Most pharmaceuticals are imported from neighboring countries and WHO reports Afghanistan currently has no process in place to check those imported supplies for quality and freshness. The international health agency will help Afghan officials establish a system for monitoring and importing drugs to insure that a reliable supply of medicine is available to the population.

Following is the text of the WHO health update:

A World Health Organization team of essential drugs specialists has arrived in Kabul to begin work on re-establishing a drugs supply system in Afghanistan. They will carry out a first assessment- the team will be followed by later missions.

Afghanistan currently has no system in place to control the quality of drugs available in the country. The aim of the WHO mission is to help the Ministry of Health develop the capacity to undertake random testing to ward against potentially harmful medicines, such as unsuitable, expired or fake drugs.

Afghanistan imports its drugs from neighboring countries, including Pakistan and Iran, or further abroad, often through private trading without proper oversight. Although there are quality drugs available, there is no way of knowing whether medicine bought privately is reliable.

Making sure the population has access to appropriate drugs depends on the ability of the government to regulate medical supplies. The WHO team will support health officials set up a standardized system to monitor drug consumption and shipments to avoid shortages. This standardization should allow proper planning which will take into account seasonal diseases, such as malaria or recurrent diseases such as tuberculosis.

Another concern is to standardize treatment protocols. This means ensuring that doctors treat patients for the same diseases in a similar manner all over the country. This will entail training of local doctors and ensuring the required drugs are available, even in remote areas.