Pharmacovigilance in Togo: equipment handed over to focal points

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Extract from the article: The Laboratory of Biomedical, Food and Environmental Health Sciences (LaSBASE) of the University of Lomé officially handed over IT and logistical equipment to the pharmacovigilance focal points of Togo’s health districts on August 4, 2025, in Lomé. T

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The Laboratory of Biomedical, Food and Environmental Health Sciences (LaSBASE) of the University of Lomé officially handed over IT and logistical equipment to the pharmacovigilance focal points of Togo’s health districts on August 4, 2025, in Lomé. This handover is part of the project "Saving Lives and Livelihoods by Pharmacovigilance" (SLL), financed by MasterCard Foundation and implemented in compliance with the administrative and financial standards of the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) of Makerere University in Uganda.

The SLL project aims to strengthen national pharmacovigilance capacities by ensuring the efficient and rapid reporting of data on adverse effects related to medicines and vaccines. The Professor Koudovo Nicolas, scientific lead of the project, have announced that this action demonstrates the consortium's commitment to effectively equip field actors for better traceability of adverse events related to pharmaceutical products.

“The project had planned, for the benefit of all districts in Togo, 50 tablets, 50 Android phones, 10 laptops for regional focal points, two high-performance computers for the national coordination, two projectors for mobile awareness teams, two projection screens and one multifunctional printer,” declared Professor Koudovo.

During this first handover phase, all the equipment was acquired, except for the Android phones and tablets. The laptops, projectors, mobile screens and multifunction printer were symbolically handed over to the project’s administrative secretariat by the First Vice President of the University of Lomé, Professor Batawila Komla.

Upstream Trainings for Progressive Mobilization

Before this handover, several key steps marked the implementation of the project, including a national training session in Kpalimé in May 2025 for regional focal points; decentralized trainings between June 16 and July 16, 2025, which enabled the training of 39 district pharmacovigilance focal points and 39 traditional medicine focal points; a sensitization and feedback phase in 8 pilot districts; and a planned extension to the remaining 31 districts for full national coverage.

These activities are part of a dynamic to collect reliable data, which will be compiled by "datamasters" and analyzed by the central unit, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and LaSBASE.

A Project for Health Security

For Professor Batawila Komlan, First Vice President of the University of Lomé and National Coordinator of the project, the objective is clear: to collect reliable data on adverse effects in order to raise alerts on the quality of medicines and vaccines used in Togo.

“Pharmacovigilance is about alerts. When you take a drug, it is to heal, but it can cause other effects. These adverse effects can even generate another disease. Therefore, it is important to ensure that products do not lead to other complications,” he emphasized.

The acquisition of high-performance equipment will help address shortcomings observed in the field, where outdated tools limited the reliability of collected data.

“What we have done today is to allow these field actors to do their job better. The equipment handed over will go to the six health regions of the country and will be used by the data collection, entry and awareness teams,” he added.

A Public Health-Oriented Approach

With the SLL project, Togo is engaging in a proactive approach to prevent medication-related risks, in a global context marked by increased reports of side effects and the growing role of traditional medicine.

“The benefits are clear: strengthening skills, improving data quality, raising alerts on the danger or efficacy of medicines, and ultimately, saving lives and preserving livelihoods,” concluded Professor Batawila.

This project marks a turning point in the management of pharmaceutical product-related risks in Togo. It demonstrates the importance of a strong and decentralized pharmacovigilance system, capable of timely alerts and contributing to the development of health policies based on reliable data.

Raymond DZAKPATA