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The Center for Awareness (COA) has launched a new company known as COA Research and Manufacturing Company Limited to improve its operations.
In addition, its COA Food Supplement product has also been renamed COA Herbal Mixture in line with its restructuring processes after the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) recalled its product from the market sometime in April due to contamination.
The ultra-modern facility, which features a state-of-the-art research and manufacturing center, offices, reception and a laboratory, replaces the old structure, after the FDA gave the Company the green light to resume operations.
The restructuring, according to Professor Samuel Ato Duncan, COA CEO, cost the company ¢ 10 million GH and was executed in four months with technical support from the FDA.
COA, which was established to address the issues facing world peace in 1998, but ventured into research in 2005 to seek plant medicine solutions to diseases the world claimed had no cure.
Through its scientific research, COA-Food Supplement (FS) was developed and registered as a food supplement and subsequently approved by the FDA in 2016, gaining national and international recognition due to its efficacy.
However, on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, the FDA ordered the recall of all COA-FS products from the market with the explanation that they had been contaminated with Escherichia coli, a type of bacteria that normally lives in the intestines.
Subsequently, the company recalled all of its products with a market value of more than ¢ 1.6 million GH and began working with the FDA to implement corrective measures to prevent future occurrences of contamination.
This, Professor Duncan explained, is due to the Company’s strict adherence to regulatory guidelines to ensure the safety and quality of its products.
The preventive measures implemented included the purchase and installation of new automated equipment to reduce human contact, the installation of safety structures to prevent possible contamination, the employment of technical and non-technical personnel, and the training of personnel by the FDA in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
Therefore, the FDA has issued a marketing authorization for COA having met all safety requirements.
Professor Duncan expressed his gratitude to the FDA whose guidelines and constant supervision had enabled them to produce good quality products to the highest standards.
Mr. Thomas Adjei Baffour, Deputy Minister of the Central Region commended the invaluable efforts with which the COA Research and Manufacturing Company has served and continues to serve the health needs of Ghanaians.
Additionally, he commended the Company for how it dealt with the misunderstanding between them and the FDA that led to the recall of its COAFS products.
He called the situation a “fortune in disguise” that had paved the way for a massive transformation of the Company that will also help prevent any future contamination of its products.
Mr. Baffour urged them to adhere strictly to all the accolades offered by the FDA for meeting international standards for the production of herbal medicines.
“Now is the time for me to seize the opportunity provided by the FDA to put Ghana once again on the international herbal drug market,” he added.
He warned the FDA to always support and consult traditional medicine companies to produce healthy and competitive products.
Mr. Freddie Blay, national president of the National Patriotic Party (PNP) noted that the COA Manufacturing and Research Company was one of the best indigenous manufacturing companies in the country.
He was extremely impressed that the Company had subjected its products to extensive scientific research and analysis by renowned research institutions both locally and internationally.
He noted that the herbal industry played an important role in the provision of medical care in the country, but for traditional medicine, many Ghanaians would have had difficulty accessing medical care.
In this regard, he said that the Government was committed to supporting the herbal medicine industry and promoting research and development of its products to gain international reputation.
Therefore, he encouraged COA and other local herbal medicine companies to take advantage of government policies to meet international packaging and export standards.
Source: GNA
