Cambodia to host 2021 Asia-Europe forum on fake medicine
Miech Sophanna, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior and Chairman of the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, attends the Asia-Europe Forum on Fake Medicine and Substandard Drugs via video conference. Ministry of Interior
The Ministry of Health yesterday announced that Cambodia will host the 13th Asia-Europe Forum in 2021, which aims to combat substandard and fake medicines.
According to the ministry statement, the previous Asia-Europe Forum was held on September 29 and 30, via video conference this week.
The forum included representatives from the 53 Asia-Europe Member States – 30 of whom represent the EU and 21 the Asean – as well as a number of development partners, it said.
The statement added that the forum decided that Cambodia would host the 2021 forum, which will cover the issue of fake medicines and explore potential global solutions
“In the meeting, the countries suggested WHO continue to support countries through cooperation, to eliminate fake medicines,” it said.
“Countries must share their technical experience between them and raise awareness of the issue of fake medicine,” it added.
Meach Sophana, a secretary of state at the Interior Ministry and head of the Cambodia Counter Counterfeit Committee (CCCC) was also putting some strategy for the forum.
He said that a committee dedicated to fake medicine is developing a cellphone app to help assist people to identify counterfeit products and also facilitate a complaint system about counterfeit products which will help authorities target and crackdown on them.
However, he said that law enforcement officers needed additional financial support and equipment, such as testing apparatus, to improve their effectiveness.
“The committee also intends to launch a new law to aid the crackdown on counterfeit products.”
Meanwhile, the UN and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) have named counterfeit products as one of the new dangerous crimes emerging in the last decade.
According to the CCCC, they have seized over 530 tonnes of counterfeit and fake products so far this year.
Sophanna called for CCCC officials to cooperate with relevant authorities and authentic product sellers to identify sources of counterfeit products, in order to take legal action.
“Salesmen, especially those who use social media and online platforms to sell products, lie about their product quality and authenticity, putting people in danger,” he said.
Credited: Khmer Times
