Health is not a hoax – The Power of Legislation & Collaboration in Fighting Fake Medicines

Karim Bendhaou

Head of Africa Bureau, Merck group and IFPMA Africa Engagement Committee Chair

Dr. Karim Bendhaou ( MBA) has served as President of North and West Africa operations 40 countries of Africa) for Merck for over 18 years till September 2018 and since then he heads the Africa Bureau and coordinates all of Merck’s corporate, strategic and executive decisions in Africa
He has been appointed, in August 2019 as Africa Engagement Committee Chair of the IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations). He holds a Doctorate in Medicine from Algiers and Paris, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration
A real pioneer, he has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for almost 22 years, building up strong pan African organizations, gaining extensive experience in biotech medicines and biosimilars, and leading a successful enterprise all the while keeping the patient in mind and increasing the commitment of the organization to the UNDG and to high ethical values. In 2007 he was one of the initiators of the joint program with the World Health Organization (for the elimination of Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease in Africa Passionate about Africa, he is highly committed to driving the continent forward helping, through public private partnerships, to lead the improvement of healthcare with a focus on Digital Technology and adoption of innovative ideas.

Through the various corporate social responsibility projects, he has worked together with governments and non governmental organizations to assure access to treatment. He has recently been involved in equitable access to vaccines through the dissemination of technology allowing the manufacture and local filling of the vaccine.

He is also sponsor of several Start-ups fighting against falsified medicines and others working for the establishment of a system ensuring the supply sustainability for Africa regardless of the events that may affect the planet.
He is member of different Pharma associations and organizations PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), LEEM (Les Entreprises du Médicament GEIP Groupement des Exportateurs de l’Industrie Pharmaceutique LEMM Les Entrerprises du Médicament au Maroc), SEPHIRE (Syndicat des Entreprises.Pharmaceutiques Innovantes et de Recherche) and Africa Engagement Committee Chair of the IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations.
In November 2020 he has been appointed as a commissioner for the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC 2021).
He has been appointed, in August 2019 as Africa Engagement Committee Chair of the IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations). He holds a Doctorate in Medicine from Algiers and Paris, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration
A real pioneer, he has been working in the pharmaceutical industry for almost 22 years, building up strong pan African organizations, gaining extensive experience in biotech medicines and biosimilars, and leading a successful enterprise all the while keeping the patient in mind and increasing the commitment of the organization to the UNDG and to high ethical values. In 2007 he was one of the initiators of the joint program with the World Health Organization (for the elimination of Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease in Africa Passionate about Africa, he is highly committed to driving the continent forward helping, through public private partnerships, to lead the improvement of healthcare with a focus on Digital Technology and adoption of innovative ideas.

Through the various corporate social responsibility projects, he has worked together with governments and non governmental organizations to assure access to treatment. He has recently been involved in equitable access to vaccines through the dissemination of technology allowing the manufacture and local filling of the vaccine.

He is also sponsor of several Startups fighting against falsified medicines and others working for the establishment
of a system ensuring the supply sustainability for Africa regardless of the events that may affect the planet
He is member of different Pharma associations and organizations PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), LEEM (Les Entreprises du Médicament GEIP Groupement des Exportateurs de
l’Industrie Pharmaceutique LEMM Les Entrerprises du Médicament au Maroc), SEPHIRE (Syndicat des Entreprises
Pharmaceutiques Innovantes et de Recherche) and Africa Engagement Committee Chair of the IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations.

In November 2020 he has been appointed as a commissioner for the Africa Health Agenda International Conference (AHAIC 2021.

Moustafa Mijyawa

Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Access to Health Care, Republic of Togo

Professor of Rheumatology with more than 30 years of experience in Togo and abroad, Prof. Mijiyawa became Minister of Health of the Republic of Togo in June 2015. Since 2019, he has been Chairman of the Executive Board of the African Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).

Karen Kramer

Senior Expert, Organized Crime Branch, Division for Treaty Affairs, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Vienna, Austria.

Since 2003, Ms. Kramer has worked for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Division for Treaty Affairs, Organized Crime Branch, as a Senior Crime Control and Criminal Justice Officer. She oversees a global programme to support the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

Ms. Kramer spent several years managing technical assistance programmes in Bulgaria as a Resident Legal Advisor for the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of Prosecutor Development, Assistance and Training and as a Criminal Law Liaison for the American Bar Association Central and Eastern European Law Initiative.

Ms. Kramer served as a public defender and as a prosecutor in Southern California and as the Chief of Staff of the Violence against Women Office, Office of Justice Programme, United States Department of Justice. She has a law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law.

Fred Muwema

Director, The Anti-counterfeit Network (ACN) Africa

Fred Muwema is a co-founder and Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at the Anti-Counterfeit Network Africa (ACN) whose vision is a counterfeit free Africa.
Fred is an accomplished commercial and Litigation Lawyer who has been practicing Law in the East African Region for over 25 years and is passionate about intellectual property protection.
Fred has participated in strategic Litigation to fight against falsified medicines on the market when he acted for the Pharmaceutical Society of Uganda in a case which determined the qualifications of drug inspectors which were in dispute in 2012.
He also led the ACN public interest Legal action against the distribution of fake Hepatitis B vaccines found in Uganda in 2018. This was done in coordination with the National Drug and Local Police Authority.
Currently, Fred is spearheading the ACN petition to the International Criminal Court in the Hague to declare counterfeiting of medicines, a crime against Humanity. Counterfeit medicines cause more human death every year than all armed conflicts taking place in the world combined.

Moussa Fofana

Chairperson, IPSF Afro & Fight the Fakes

Originally from Mali, a French-speaking country in West Africa, Moussa Fofana recently graduated with a doctorate in pharmacy with the very honorable mention at the University of Sciences of Techniques and Technologies of Bamako (Faculty of Pharmacy: FAPH). He researched "The therapeutic use of cannabis in the world".
Very involved in associative movements, he has held several positions as president.
In 2018 – 2020, he served as President of the pharmacy students of Mali.
For the IPSF, he has held several positions, including oordinator of new associations (Regional Relation), coordinator of Full Membership (Regional Relation), chairperson of the 9th African Pharmaceutical Symposium, which brought together 120 delegates from 22 countries.
Today, he is chairperson of the IPSF African Regional Office.

Richard Amalvy

General Director, Brazzaville Foundation

Richard Amalvy has a long record as leader of international NGOs and has co-designed peace programmes in the African Great Lakes Region, the Middle East and the former Yugoslavia. Youth Policy consultant at the World Bank and Public and General Affairs consultant at the OECD, he served as a Board Member of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and Vice-President of the Conference of NGOs at the UN.

Winnie NGANGA

Chairman, KAPI

Dr Winnie Ng’ang’a is the Regulatory Affairs Director for GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceutical where she manages East Africa and Francophone West and Central Africa. She is in charge of new product development for the region. She is also regulatory responsible lead for mergers, acquisition and risk management among other duties. She is an active board member of Africa Regulatory Network (ARN) as well as a committee member representing trade associations in the Africa Engagement Committee AEC under IFPMA organization.
Winnie serves as the Executive Secretary of Kenya Association Pharmaceutical Industry (KAPI) and is a thought leader in pharmaceutical policies, regulations, new product registration, Pharmacovigilance and borderline medicine guidelines, to highlight a few.
She holds a Masters in Health Economic and Pharmacoeconomics, has a Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Nairobi and other certifications in Senior Management, Health System Strengthening and Auditing.

Richard Neci Cizungu

Executive Director, Ecumenical Pharmaceutical Network (EPN)

Richard Neci is a pharmacist who is passionate in fighting fake and substandard medicines.
He has over 14 years of experience in strengthening Pharmaceutical Services, supply chains and health systems.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Kinshasa, an advanced diploma in humanitarian Logistics and a Postgraduate Certificate of Management from Cumbria University. His exemplary Management skills and multi – cultural profile saw him become the Director in one of the largest Drug Supply Organisations Dépôt Central Médico-Pharmaceutique 8e CEPAC (DCMP 8th CEPAC) in DR Congo for a span of 10 years. He has worked closely with senior health leads such as Nobel Peace Prize 2018 Prof. Dr Denis Mukwege who was also the Head of the Medical Department CEPAC. Here they were able to implement and manage several projects in DRC.
In his 10-year tenure at DCMP 8th CEPAC, he was able to manage projects funded by USAID, implemented MSH and CHEMONICS for the storage and distribution of drugs in health zones affected by gender – based violence in Eastern DRC.
Richard worked also from 2013 as responsible for monitoring the quality of medicines in health facilities of the Church of Christ in Congo, by using the GPHF Minilab and in 2016, as President of the Provincial Council of Pharmacists. Richard succeeded in influencing by his leadership, pharmacists, colleagues and health authorities, to get involved in the sanitation of the pharmaceutical sector and the fight against fake and substandard medicines. Richard was born in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and is bilingual (French and English).

Mothobi Godfrey Keele

Head of Government Affairs and Policy, IPASA