Ho, May 15, GNA-The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) has set up five mini laboratories in five regional capitals to test the efficacy and safety of malaria drugs. The laboratories, established in collaboration with the Drug Quality Information Programme of the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) are located in Ho, Takoradi, Kumasi, Bolgatanga and Tamale at a total cost of 30,000 dollars.

The Reverend Jonathan Martey, Head of Quality Control Laboratories of the FDB in Accra told the Ghana News Agency in a telephone interview on Friday that a second set of laboratories would be established for the remaining five regions in due course. Reverend Martey said the project formed part of the US government's overall support for the management of malaria treatment in Africa initiated by former Presidential George Bush in June 2005. The objective of the initiative was to ensure the quality of malaria drugs in Africa.

Mr. Roderick Daddey-Adjei the Volta and Eastern Zonal Officer of the FDB said various anti-malaria drugs have been randomly gathered from pharmaceutical shops and central medical stores in the Eastern and Volta regions for testing.

He said the laboratories would be used in testing other drugs in future when capacity was built. 15 May 2009