Serious allegations of drug substitution and trafficking are shaking the Senegalese Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (ARP). Faced with what they describe as deep and repeated dysfunctions, SAMES and SUTSAS/ARP have announced that they have filed a complaint with the Public Prosecutor and OFNAC requesting independent investigations.

According to union officials, these actions follow suspicions involving agents within the ARP itself. If proven, these practices would seriously jeopardize public health and the credibility of the regulatory authority.

Before taking the matter to the judicial and regulatory bodies, the unions stated that they had alerted the relevant administrative authorities, including the Director General of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People (ARP), the Minister of Health, and the Prime Minister. Lacking satisfactory responses, they deemed it necessary to pursue legal action: "As state agents, we made the responsible choice not to make these matters public, in order to preserve the image and credibility of the ARP," they explained.

A climate of crisis exacerbated by the Softcare affair

The unions' public statement comes amid heightened tensions, marked by the Softcare affair, which has already severely tarnished the institution's image. For SAMES and SUTSAS, this latest case of substitution is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a broader pattern of dysfunction linked to the agency's current governance.

These factors raise serious questions about the ARP's ability to fully assume its role as guarantor of the quality, safety, and traceability of medicines placed on the Senegalese market. The unions are now calling on the authorities to take responsibility for restoring the agency's credibility at both the national and international levels.

Towards a hardening of the trade union movement

At the same time, the two organizations reaffirmed their commitment through a joint SAMES–SUTSAS/ARP struggle. This alliance is presented as a first step before the possible deployment of a new, more vigorous action plan.

"United, we will prevail. Only struggle liberates," they concluded, calling on their comrades to remain united and strictly adhere to future directives.