Duale: Digital tools will help in weeding out counterfeit drugs, quacks

Health CS Aden Duale on September 1, 2025 at Afya House. [Edward Kiplimo,Standard]

Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has said that Kenya will use technology to weed out quacks and counterfeit medicines in the market.

He said Kenya is tightening governance of procurement, track-and-trace, and anti-counterfeit systems so that every shipment is verifiable from production line to patient.

He said transparent, digital, end-to-end visibility protects patients, reassures investors, and makes public finance count twice. He said digitisation has helped curb fake drugs and counterfeits in the country.

Addressing the 7th biennial Scientific Conference on Medical Product Regulation in Africa held in Mombasa yesterday, Duale said Kenya had strengthened governance to curb counterfeits.

“We are cultivating technology-transfer hubs, incentivising backward integration for inputs, and building the power, logistics, and skills base manufacturers require to compete—first in the continent then globally,” he said.

Kenya has urged other African nations to join a new continental regulatory body for medical products to guarantee access to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying the transition has provided certainty on product standards.

Duale told other states to ratify, resource and operationalise the Africa Medicines Agency (AMA) to ensure common standards for medical products in the region.

The 55 African Union member states are expected to use AMA to promote common standards for medicines and medical products and encourage local manufacturing of the products.

Participants noted that when standards converge, there will be increased investment, job creation and technology transfer on the continent.