2011 | 2010

21 November : Joint WHPA / Central European Health Professions initiative for safe medicines
Under the banner of the WHPA “Be Aware, Take Action” campaign, the WHPA Central Europe regional workshop, held on 21 November in Prague, tackled the grave problem of falsified medical products worldwide. Health professionals united to adopt the WHPA Prague Call to Action and urged governments to ramp up fight against falsified medicines.
Media release
WHPA Prague Call to Action
WHPA Prague workshop programme

Update from 2011 FIP Congress in Hyderabad, India, about combatting falsified and counterfeit medicines See article in International Pharmacy Journal

Health professionals unite in WHPA Taipei Call to Action: First for the Asian region
Urging governments to ramp up the fight against falsified and counterfeit medicines, health professionals in Asia have joined together to endorse the WHPA Taipei Call to Action to reduce the harmful impact of falsified and counterfeit medical products on patients and the public.
See Media Release Traditional Chinese

Health professionals meet to fight falsified and counterfeit medical products

In a first for the Asian region, national health professions organisations (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy) and key stakeholders will meet at a dedicated workshop on falsified and counterfeit medical products, to be held on 30 June and 1 July, in Taipei. More

2010

WHPA Counterfeit Campaign Newsletter
View August Newsletter 2010 or Click here for printable PDF version.

WHPA regional initiatives with HCP associations

In the second half of 2010, two ‘Be Aware, Take Action’ regional workshops were conducted for health care professionals (HCPs). The first was held in Costa Rica, on 19 October, and the second in Nigeria, from 22 to 23 November.

Workshop recommendations and outcomes

One very important recommendation from both workshops is the need for collaboration among health professionals at the national level, through the formation of national health professions alliances, so that health professionals can benefit from each other’s core competencies in fighting this menace. More

San José, Costa Rica regional workshop for health professionals

Fifty-three healthcare professional participants from 23 national health professional organisations and two patient groups in nine countries attended this workshop. At this inaugural meeting, the WHPA San José Call to Action  was adopted by workshop participants. Follow up actions have since taken place in Costa Rica, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Mexico. More than 20,000 HCPs have been reached as a result of this workshop. Full report | versión española

Safe Medicines regional workshop in Abuja, Nigeria

More than ninety participants from 30 health professions organisations and four patient groups in 11 countries attended this workshop. This represents a reach to more than 65,000 HCPs in these countries. There was considerable media coverage, the WHPA Abuja Call to Action was adopted and to date, there has been significant follow up activity by workshop participants in their own countries. Follow up actions have taken place in Ethiopia, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, and further activities are being planned in other countries who participated in the workshop. Full report

Plans are underway for workshops in the South-East Asia, Western Pacific, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Eastern Mediterranean regions in 2011 and 2012. 

MEDIA RELEASE

African joint initiative to fight the dangers of counterfeit medicines
Thirty national health professions organisations endorse 'Abuja Call to Action'

In a first for the African continent, health professions organisations (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy) and four patient organisations from fourteen countries have discussed and endorsed the WHPA Abuja Call to Action on Counterfeit Medical Products when they met at the first-ever multi-professional workshop on counterfeit medical products in Africa, held 22-23 November, in Abuja, Nigeria. More

version française
COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE | WHPA ABUJA appel à l’action

MEDIA RELEASE

San José Call to Action: Fight the dangers of medical counterfeits
JOINT INITATIVE BY THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS FROM CENTRAL AMERICA, THE CARIBBEAN, COLOMBIA AND MEXICO

Representatives twenty-three national health professional organizations (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and physical therapy) and patient organizations, from nine countries have joined together in a ‘Call to Action’, to combat the threat to public health and patient safety posed by counterfeit and falsified medical products. More

versión española
COMUNICADO DE PRENSA | Llamado a la Acción

David Benton, CEO of ICN speaking at WHPA workshop on counterfeiting of medical products in San José on 19 October 2010.

WHPA intervenes at 63^rd WHA on the subject of counterfeit medical products

The World Health Professions Alliance was present at the 63^rd World Health Assembly, held in Geneva from 17-21 May 2010. On the subject of counterfeit medical products,  FIP spoke on behalf of the five WHPA member organizations and stressed that all of us have a common goal to protect the well-being of patients in all parts of the world from poor quality, substandard and counterfeit medical products. WHPA remains very strongly supportive of WHO’s role to assume leadership in combating counterfeit medical products based solely on its mandate for public health interests. Full text of the WHPA counterfeit medical products intervention [46 KB]

Press Release 17 May 2010 World Health Professions Alliance calls for increased action against counterfeits
version française versión española

World Health Professions Alliance calls for vigilance in TB treatment non-response : Citing counterfeit or substandard medicines as possible cause
Geneva, 24 March, 2010 - [194 KB]

Counterfeit campaign briefing at regulation conference

The briefing introduced the ‘Be Aware’ campaign to, health professionals, regulators and media attending the conference. Speaking on behalf of WHPA were Mr. A.J.M. (Ton) Hoek, General Secretary & CEO, International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), and Dr. Otmar Kloiber, Secretary General, World Medical Association.

The briefing heard that health professionals need more than ever to consider counterfeit medical products as a reason for non-response or unexpected response in pharmacotherapy in the patients they care for. Health professionals also need to let the public know to only get their medicines from known and reliable sources.

“In 2010, WHPA has stepped up its commitment to combat counterfeit medical products through the ‘Be Aware’ campaign,” said Mr. Ton Hoek. “By working in collaboration, instead of along parallel tracks, our combat will be more effective.”

Dr. Otmar Kloiber continued, “WHPA has taken on the fight against counterfeit medical products as a priority action area. We are committed to combating counterfeits through raising awareness among health professionals and providing tools and strategies for detecting counterfeit medicines and for safely informing colleagues and patients.”

Contact information

For more information about the WHPA counterfeit medical products campaign, please email