Ghana's Minister for Health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has announced a series of new measures introduced by the government to curb the inflow of highly addictive opioids into the country.
A recent BBC investigation revealed that one pharmaceutical company, Aveo, had been illegally exporting a harmful mix of tapentadol and carisoprodol to Ghana and other West African countries.
Delivering a statement in Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh explained that a joint task force comprising state security agencies is tightening surveillance to ensure that no such harmful substances are allowed into the country. "A Joint Task Force involving the FDA, the Narcotics Control Commission, Customs and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has intensified checks at little entry points to prevent further unauthorised imports leading to disruption of a large consignment of Tramador and similar drugs." He added that there has been increased monitoring of over-the-counter drug scenes adding that "inspections have been intensified and legal action taken against offenders." Meanwhile, MP for Korle Klottey, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, and Lambussie legislator, Prof Titus Beyuo, both medical doctors, have decried the harmful impact of these substances on their constituents due to their highly addictive nature.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings told Parliament that the "particular phenomenon that we're witnessing is quite shocking." "As a matter of fact, in my constituency, we have a cluster of schools, the Nii Amugi Cluster of Schools where people who are addicted to drugs have actually invaded the premises, where they harass children, they harass the teachers, and in the last three weeks, one of the security personnel in the school was attacked by a gang of drug addicts and is now at the 37 Military Hospital in a coma.
