By Jamesetta D. Williams
The Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) has disclosed the seizure of counterfeit and substandard medicines valued at approximately L$400,000, while announcing plans to introduce a US$250,000 minimum capital requirement for pharmaceutical importers as part of efforts to strengthen regulation of Liberia’s pharmaceutical sector.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing, LMHRA Managing Director Dr. Luke L. Bawo said the measures form part of the Authority’s newly launched Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026–2030) aimed at improving the quality, safety, and regulation of medicines and health products in Liberia, a country with a population of about 5.5 million people.
Dr. Bawo explained that Liberia’s health sector has recorded significant progress over the past decade, particularly after the Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic, including expansion of health facilities, improvement in diagnostic services, increased healthcare manpower, and better distribution of essential medicines.
However, he said a major challenge remains in ensuring that medicines and health products circulating in the country meet required safety and quality standards.
“The weakest link in a chain determines the strength of the entire chain,” Dr. Bawo said, emphasizing that the quality of medicines available to patients remains critical to the strength of Liberia’s healthcare system.
According to the LMHRA boss, counterfeit and substandard medicines continue to threaten public health, contribute to treatment failures, increase drug resistance, and reduce public confidence in the health sector.
He disclosed that LMHRA recently confiscated counterfeit and substandard health products valued at about L$400,000, following enforcement activities aimed at removing unsafe medicines from the market.
Dr. Bawo also raised concerns over the increasing number of pharmaceutical importers operating in Liberia. He revealed that the country currently has about 118 licensed pharmaceutical importers, a number he described as unusually high compared to countries with much larger populations.
“With a population of approximately 5.5 million, Liberia has more pharmaceutical importers than some countries with significantly larger populations,” he said, arguing that stronger requirements are needed to improve oversight and accountability.
To address the situation, Dr. Bawo said LMHRA is advocating for a new licensing requirement that would require pharmaceutical importers to demonstrate a minimum financial capacity of US$250,000.
He explained that the proposed measure is intended to reduce the number of unqualified operators entering the pharmaceutical market and ensure that importers have the capacity to meet regulatory obligations.
The LMHRA Managing Director said the Authority’s Five-Year Strategic Plan is aligned with the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) and is built around six major strategic goals.
The goals include strengthening a decentralized regulatory system, improving quality management systems, developing an integrated regulatory information system, strengthening partnerships, building a competent workforce, and improving infrastructure and resource mobilization.
As part of the implementation of the plan, Dr. Bawo announced that LMHRA will establish a modern health products quality control laboratory within the next three to four months.
He said the facility will have the capacity to test medicines, vaccines, herbal products, cosmetics, and food supplements, reducing Liberia’s dependence on external testing services.
The Authority also plans to automate its regulatory processes, allowing pharmaceutical companies and importers to apply for product registration, licensing, and testing services electronically.
Dr. Bawo disclosed that LMHRA will introduce a nationwide digital Track-and-Trace System that will place unique QR codes on approved medicines entering Liberia.
According to him, the system will allow regulators, healthcare workers, and members of the public to verify the authenticity of medicines by scanning the QR code, while products without official LMHRA identification will be considered illegal and removed from circulation.
Responding to concerns about medicines being sold in buckets and open containers, Dr. Bawo said confiscation alone cannot permanently solve the problem because traders can easily replace the products.
He said the long-term solution is to make it difficult for illegal medicines to enter and circulate in the country through stronger tracking, inspection, and enforcement systems.
Dr. Bawo further disclosed that LMHRA plans to expand its inspection activities nationwide by decentralizing operations to all 15 counties.
He said the Authority intends to work closely with County Health Teams by establishing offices within existing health structures, with plans to begin operating between five and seven county offices before the end of the year.
On unregistered medicines and health products advertised through social media platforms, Dr. Bawo warned businesses and individuals marketing such products without approval that they could be held responsible for any harm caused.
He encouraged companies involved in the sale of health products to submit samples to LMHRA for testing and registration before placing them on the market.
The LMHRA boss also disclosed that the Authority is strengthening collaboration with other government institutions, including the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), to address pharmaceutical-related violations.
He said a Memorandum of Understanding has been established with the LDEA to facilitate the safe disposal of confiscated narcotics and controlled substances through LMHRA’s upcoming pharmaceutical waste disposal facility.
Dr. Bawo acknowledged that public awareness has been one of LMHRA’s challenges but said the Authority has strengthened its communication strategy to improve visibility and public understanding of its work.
He called on journalists and citizens to report violations involving regulated products, including the illegal sale of medicines and breaches of Liberia’s ban on shisha smoking.
Concluding his remarks, Dr. Bawo said the successful implementation of the Strategic Plan will help strengthen medicine regulation, reduce counterfeit products, improve public confidence, and protect the health of millions of Liberians.
The health system is only as strong as the health products circulating within it,” he stressed.
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