Permanent Mission of India

Geneva 

Statement by India at the WHO’s Meeting of the Steering Committee on Substandard and Falsified Products on Agenda - Discussion on ‘Medicines in Transit’ - delivered by Dr. Sumit Seth, First Secretary on 30 March 2017 

Thank you, Madam Chair: 

We would like to thank the WHO Secretariat for preparing and circulating the concept paper on Medicines in Transit on the request of India. The delegation of India has consulted its various Government entities internally, regarding the contents of the said paper as the subject of Medicines in transit deals with cross-cutting issues. 

At the outset, Delegation of India feels that the title of the paper - should be Medical Products in Transit. 

India is of the view that proper vigilance and monitoring of the movement of Substandard and Falsified Medical products in transit is undertaken collectively under the agreed framework of MSM. Therefore it is important that a Survey or a Study of existing regulations and practices including the existing material on the risk indicators of such products - being followed by various national regulatory authorities for addressing the issue - may be undertaken. 

The further course of action on how to conduct proportionate monitoring of SF Medical Products in transit while minimizing any potential adverse effect on public health may be decided only after we collate and analyse the Data obtained from the survey as mentioned above. 

India would like to request the WHO Secretariat to favourably consider conducting this Survey or Study.  Thank you, Madam Chair.