First Lady unveils new FDA logo
A new logo and corporate identity of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) was unveiled at a ceremony in Accra yesterday by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
The authority said its re-branded identity symbolised new ways of doing things to ensure that the general public was protected from harmful and unwholesome products.
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New logo
The logo consists of two arcs in yellow and blue which form a circle around the acronym, “FDA”, which is also spelt in full in the shape of an arc above the circle.
The interlocking arcs symbolise FDA’s willingness to embrace engagement with stakeholders. The full circular shape of the arcs represent the complete 360 required checks the authority conducts to ensure consumer wellbeing.
The yellow colour symbolises vibrancy, white symbolises transparency and blue stands for boldness.
New corporate identity
Mrs Akufo-Addo, in a keynote address, charged the authority “not to re-brand for re-branding sake, but ensure that its rebranding was purposeful and in line with its mandate to the Ghanaian people.
She encouraged the staff of the FDA, “to resist any practice that would oppose the spirit of the new corporate brand, urging, “together you can build an institution that will stand the test of time”.
Undoubtedly, she said, “the Food and Drugs Authority has proven to be one of the most powerful regulatory institutions in the country, with a proven track record for protecting public health.”
The First Lady commended the authority for regulating the herbal and beverage industries, noting that not too long ago, the herbal industry was not regulated.
“Anyone could produce and package products in any form and sell it anyhow they wanted.
The story is different today. We all bear witness that there is an appreciable level of certainty and regulation in the herbal medicinal and beverage industries,” she stated.
Plastics
On the problem of plastic waste, Mrs Akufo-Addo called for efforts to reduce, recycle and reuse plastics and plastic materials,noting that while the FDA had made huge strides and continued to do so in the bottled and sachet water production industry, “the advent of sachet water had increased plastic waste, which pollutes the environment.”
“If we don’t act now to stop this pollution, the future of our planet would be jeopardised,” she cautioned.
Constraints
In an address read on his behalf, the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, commended the authority for proving to be effective, efficient and focused on its mandate over the years.
He said but for the vigilance of the FDA, “I wonder the sort of products we would be having on our market,” even in spite of challenges in logistics and the financial constraints that the authority faced.
The minister said it was worth commending the FDA, for among other things, consistently alerting the general public on products found on the market that were counterfeit, substandard or unwholesome.
Mr Manu charged the FDA that following from its rebranding, it must look at advertisements, particularly those on herbal medicines.
“It is worrying that almost every radio or TV station advertises herbal medicine and I wonder whether those adverts have been approved by the FDA in view of the claims that are made within those adverts,“ he complained.
Mr Manu also asked the FDA to do an effective post market surveillance to ensure that regulated products on the market were safe, efficacious and of good quality.
He assured the FDA of the government’s full support, logistic-wise, to ensure that it fulfilled its mandate.
FDA
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FDA, Mrs Delese Darko, earlier in a welcome address, said the rebranding would position the FDA as an evolving dynamic brand that moved with the times and remained relevant in a changing business environment.
She said rebranding meant rededicating the FDA to improve regulation.
The Board Chairman of the FDA, Dr Sammy Ohene, for his part, commended the FDA for chalking up numerous achievements under financial constraints, and called on the MoH to help the authority to achieve financial autonomy.
Donor partners from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United States Pharmacy (USP) pledged their continued support to the FDA, to ensure that it achieved its mandate of protecting the food and drug safety of the general populace.
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