NEW Partnership for Africa’s Development Agency (NEPAD) Chief Executive Officer Dr Ibrahim Mayaki has urged the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) to strengthening and recruits quality human resources to foster social and economic development at the national and regional level.
Speaking to reporters in a news conference yesterday in Dar es Salaam Dr Mayaki who paid an official visit to the TFDA headquarters has hailed the achievement made by the authority to establish a project using nuclear technology to monitor the quality of food and drugs for improving food safety mechanism in the country.
“I am glad to be here today to share experience with the Tanzanians experts on food and drugs as its character of the institute to evaluate performance of the African’s development in the national, regional and continental level,” he said.
He said that the East African Community (EAC) is one of the regional blocs that have made various achievements since its establishment 13 years ago and vivid example to other Africans bloc in the continent.
Dr Mayaki added that the TFDA has made a remarkable achievement for the establishment of the project with international and acceptable standards to monitor foods and drugs which is unique in the East Africa and Africa at large.
He further said that the international institutes such as NEPAD will continue to work closer with the foods and drugs authorities in the East Africa and Africa to foster the fight against counterfeit and substandard products in the African market.
On his part the TFDA Director General Hiiti Silo said that the authority would continue to improve its inspection of counterfeits of goods and implementing international and acceptable standards for controlling foods and drugs for the safety of the consumers and public health.
Sillo added that he project of nuclear technology will enhance its laboratory’s capacity to promote safe food and develop a laboratory quality management system.
“The authority would continue to protect and promote public health by ensuring safety, quality and effectiveness of food, medicines, cosmetics and medical devices,” he said.
He said that the authority is working closely with other regional agencies to ensure the East African countries are adopting the harmonization and regional acceptable standards in the region.
“We are now implementing our new five-year strategic plan from 2012 to 2017. Among targets of this plan is to equip the TFDA laboratory to analyse veterinary drugs and pesticide residues in food by June 2015,” he said.
He said TFDA’s capacity of protecting human health had greatly improved. For the past three years it has been able to analyse over 500 samples of wheat, maize and rice consignments for the presence of mycotoxins and heavy metal metals, he noted.
Henry Irunde Chief Pharmacist from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said that the government would continue to support the authority to curb substandard of goods and products in the market.
He said that although the TFDA is one of the leading regulators in East Africa and Africa but its deserve mutual support from other international bodies to curb counterfeit in the continent.
Ends.
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