The Federal Republic of Somalia’s House of Representatives on Saturday passed and approved the long-awaited medicine bill that will now revolutionize the care system in Somalia.

The bill was passed by an overwhelming majority of 141 votes; the bill calls for the formation of the regulatory body (National Medicine Regulatory Authority). The bill will be tasked with the day-to-day oversight of the industry, from inspecting shipments at the ports of entry to monitoring the supply chain across various regions.

For years Somalia’s pharmaceutical industry has been grappling with substandard drugs and medical supplies, which has put millions of Somali lives at risk for lack of proper channels to govern one of the most critical and sensitive systems in the country.

A report by the World Health Organization gave worrying findings that indicated that globally countries spend over $30.5 billion per year on substandard and falsified medical products, which are often sold online or in the informal market.

The report further indicated that 42% of fake medicines report were made from Africa
Bill is set to prove to the House of the Senate for further deliberation before accession into law by the president.