This Tuesday at the Marriott Hotel, the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) through its Directorate of Pharmacy, Medicines and Traditional Medicine (DPM/MT) has officially launched the "National Pharmaceutical Policy" under the patronage of President Michel Martelly and leadership of Prime Minister Evans Paul. This policy provides a framework and guidance for the Haitian pharmaceutical system.

"[...] The State must guarantee the health of the population, and the fulfillment of this mission through the formulation of strategic sectoral policies and their implementation [...] However, many challenges and issues of size remain, including the eradication of illegal sale and counterfeiting of medicines," declared in her speech Flaurine Jean-Jeune Joseph, the Responsible of the Directorate of Pharmacy, Medicines and Traditional Medicine.

Recalling that without authorization, drug sellers are found in public transport and in the streets of the capital to liquidate their products without being worrying "The situation is worrying and it challenges us all," insisted Mrs. Joseph "Only an individual and citizen awareness can happen to eradicate this scourge that threatens us."

Jean-Luc Poncelet, the Representative of the Pan American Health Organization has stressed the need to offer people equal access to medication highlighting "It only takes two US dollars per inhabitant to cover the minimum requirements for essential medicines, this would amount to 20 million per year for the country. These are not astronomical sums," calling the Haitian authorities to consider this issue.

Recognizing the challenges the pharmaceutical industry faces, Dr. Florence Duperval Guillaume, Minister of Health, stressed how access to medicines is a major problem to be solved, particularly in terms of availability, recalling that lack of education and globalization are considerable threats regarding compliance with standards and procedures essential for the drug sector. Recalling that his ministry was working tirelesslt, in order to maintain a regular check of the formal sector, especially the placing on the market of medicines, import, customs clearance and inspection of legitimate pharmaceutical institutions.

Speech of Prime Minister Paul :

PI/ HaitiLibre