Kenyan health officials rejected Western news reports that counterfeit drugs in the country are imported from China.
"We import all range of essential medicines from China and so far we have not detected substandard or counterfeit drugs originating from the country," Kipkerich Koskei, chief pharmacist at the Ministry of Medical Services, said Tuesday.
"All imported medicines must be registered after passing the quality and efficacy test," Koskei said, adding that drugs imported from China have met international benchmarks.
"China will continue to be our main source of medicines as our post -market surveillance indicates no foul play," Koskei said. "Health facilities have not reported any side effect on antimalarials or antibiotics imported from China."
Koskei spoke in respone to reports by a British newspaper that the east African region has become a dumping ground for counterfeit drugs originating in Asian countries.
Drug regulatory authorities also confirmed that drugs and medical equipment imported from China have met World Health Organization (WHO) approved standards.
Steve Kimatu, head of Medicines Information at the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, told Xinhua that there is no evidence so far linking China to an influx of fake drugs in the Kenyan market.
"We do not have concrete evidence to suggest that China is the source of counterfeit drugs. In any case, the reported cases of fake tablets are mostly traced from established pharmaceutical giants," he added.
Kimatu stressed that the board has set stringent rules on imports of drugs and no country is exempt from penalties in case they violate the guidelines.
Kenya has strengthened measures to deter entry of contraband goods, including medicinal products. The government has joined forces with the private sector and consumer lobby groups to combat the menace of counterfeit drugs.
In recent years, Kenya has turned to China to strengthen its health systems and reduce its disease burden.
The Kenyan government has established a partnership with China to promote research and development of essential medicines as well as help combat the menace of substandard or fake medical products, Koskei said
He added that health officials visit Chinese factories every six months to verify the efficacy of imported drugs before they are registered in local markets.
Kenya also has turned to advanced technology in China to help develop its nascent pharmaceutical industry.
"China has advanced technology in development of drugs and we are exploring technology transfer in quality assurance, production, research and development of drugs," Koskei said.
Kenyan institutions are collaborating with China to promote research and development of alternative medicines.
The Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Kenya Medical Research Institute and the University of Nairobi are jointly conducting clinical trials to gauge the efficacy of herbal medicine.
Koskei said Kenyan health officials have been trained in Chinese universities on critical aspects of alternative medicine.
"Acquiring more knowledge on herbal medicine from China will enable Kenya to develop a home-grown herbal industry," Koskei said.