By Parvel H. Makona
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) says it is intensifying efforts to combat the growing threat of drug and substance abuse pledging to work closely with the government and law enforcement agencies to strengthen medicine regulation and public health safeguards.
Speaking during the authority’s Annual General Meeting in Harare, MCAZ public relations officer Davidson Kaiyo said the agency was scaling up operations to curb the sale of counterfeit and unregistered drugs many of which are fueling substance abuse among young people.
“We do have a number of enforcement activities that we carry out together with the police, including raids where we target hotspots to get rid of illicit drugs circulating on the local market,” Kaiyo said.
He added that MCAZ was aligning its work with national strategies on drug control, focusing on licensing, enforcement and inter-agency coordination.
“We work together with other government bodies to implement national resolutions in the fight against drug and substance abuse. Our licensing and enforcement division ensures that the law is fully upheld,” he said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Zimbabwe became the sixth African country to achieve maturity level three in the regulation of medicines on 14 June 2024 — joining Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt.
The recognition marks significant progress in ensuring that medicines available in the country meet international safety and quality standards.
However, some stakeholders have expressed frustration over what they describe as weak penalties for offenders.
The current fine for breaching the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act (MASCA) stands at just US$20 an amount they say does little to deter offenders.
“Every drug has a source, and every demand has a user. We need to educate the public that creates the demand, because many don’t realise the harm they are causing,” said Patrick Munamba, chairperson of the Community Pharmacists Association.
“If we eliminate the user, we kill the market at its source and save our nation,” he added calling for greater public awareness and tougher enforcement of MASCA.
MCAZ reiterated its commitment to ensuring that only safe approved medicines are available in Zimbabwe.
The authority urged consumers to verify drugs against its list of approved products before purchase, to avoid exposure to counterfeit or dangerous substances.
