Nairobi, KENYA – Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) CEO Dr. Fred M. Siyoi has called for urgent and unified regional action to combat the growing threat of illicit health products and technologies across East Africa.

Speaking at the official opening of the Operation African Star 2 workshop in Nairobi, on July 10, 2025 Dr. Siyoi warned that the surge in counterfeit, diverted, and illegally imported medicines is undermining public health, destabilizing economies, and weakening confidence in national health systems.

“The illicit trade in health products is a transnational crisis that thrives on regulatory gaps and weak coordination,” said Dr. Siyoi. “It endangers lives and cannot be tackled in isolation. We must move as one.”

Citing the success of Operation African Star 1 in June 2024—which intercepted falsified pharmaceuticals smuggled through small courier parcels—Dr. Siyoi credited enhanced intelligence-sharing and coordinated enforcement across East Africa as key to disrupting these illegal networks.

He also spotlighted Kenya’s pilot of the Pharmaceutical Authentication and Traceability Program (PATP) as a transformative step in supply chain oversight. “PATP allows regulators to track medicines from production to patient, detect counterfeits in real time, and take rapid enforcement or recall action,” he said.

“Operation African Star 2 reaffirms our shared commitment to protecting the public from harmful products and ensuring access to safe, quality-assured health products and technologies,” Dr. Siyoi added. “We are embracing digitization, including AI-powered tools, to fast-track a robust track and trace system that enhances supply chain integrity across the region.”

Aligned with global standards, the initiative is designed to increase transparency, bolster regulatory vigilance, and protect patients. Dr. Siyoi emphasized that success depends on strong collaboration among regulators, logistics providers, ICT partners, manufacturers, and end users.

The multi-agency workshop brings together a range of stakeholders, including Uganda’s National Drug Authority, USAID-OIG, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), GS1, Novartis, and others.

Calling on delegates to deepen regional collaboration, Dr. Siyoi urged joint field exercises, shared data platforms, and harmonized regulatory frameworks to address the evolving threats. “Let us protect lives, restore trust, and take decisive action in the fight against illicit medicines,” he said.

The two day workshop, focuses on practical, cross-border strategies to secure pharmaceutical supply chains and safeguard consumers across East Africa.

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