The day was commemorated with a press conference held at the Joint Officer’s Mess in Kotu.
World Competition Day is the day the United Nations conference on restrictive business practices approved the UN set of multilaterally agreed equitable principles and rules for control of restrictive business practices in 1980. The day is commemorated globally annually on December 5th to ensure that consumers realise the potential benefits from an effective implemented completion regime.
Amadou Ceesay, executive secretary of GCCPC said covid-19 made healthcare a top public policy priority all over the world. He added that, public health interest now trumps national economic interest as evident in lockdowns in the world.
“The pandemic has also triggered policy thinking towards self-sufficiency in health care including the need to have domestic base for local production pharmaceutical, taking cue from ongoing lessons from the pandemic”, he said.
He revealed that, a national health insurance bill has been presented to the national assembly, which aims at providing universal health coverage for all citizens.
“The success of the bill and any other healthcare policy is anchored on accessibility and affordability and competition is the tool to achieve such”, he added.
Markieu Janneh-Kaira, executive director of Medicine Control Agency (MCA), said MCA the Medicine and Related products Act is to control or regulate medicines used by the public, ensure they are safe, in good quality and are effective.
She urged that the public to keep a watchful eye and know what they consume or confirm from MCA especially when they grow suspicious of such drugs.
Madam Janneh-Kaira further called on the public to stop buying drugs from outlets with no names and license to operate. She added that, such outlets are illegal and should be reported to the medical control agency.
‘The people selling medicine on the streets, markets and Lomus are not qualified,’ she declared.
Meanwhile, she warned that, regulations for herbal advertisement are out and waiting for enforcement.
