The Eastern Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, has embarked on a special operation targeting the sale of baby diapers in Koforidua, Asamankese, and Nsawam.

Baby and adult diapers are classified as medical devices under Ghana’s regulatory framework and are required to be registered by the FDA before being sold to the public.

Madam Anita Owusu-Kuffour, Eastern Regional Head of the FDA, told the Ghana News Agency in Koforidua, that the exercise was conducted in accordance with Section 118 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which states that:

“A person shall not manufacture, prepare, import, export, distribute, sell, supply or exhibit for sale a drug, herbal medicinal product, cosmetic, medical device or household chemical substance unless the article has been registered by the Authority.”

Madam Owusu-Kuffour said education on the need for vendors to comply with the FDA regulatory requirements had been carried out several months prior to the operation, yet some of the vendors had failed to work within standards and feigned ignorance, pleading for more explanation when interdicted, but the plea proved futile..

Scenes of the operation captured situations of unregistered and expired baby diapers on sale.

Also, some vendors, due to limited space in their shops, displayed the diapers to the sun and other hazardous weather conditions, which made them harmful to consumers’ safety.

The seized items were sent for proper disposal by the Authority, a measure intended to serve as a deterrent to other traders.

Speaking on consumer protection, Mr. Kingsley Nii Lante Lamptey, Head of the Inspectorate Unit at the Eastern Regional Office of the FDA, emphasized that safeguarding public health should take precedence over commercial interests.

He said ethical business practices would help vendors comply with FDA regulatory requirements and urged consumers to always check for FDA registration numbers before purchasing regulated products.

He assured the public of continued education by the FDA, and continuous enforcement to ensure the safety and well-being of consumers.