Importation and distribution of unregistered medicines in the public sector: similarities, differences and shared challenges among Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries

BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to assess the requirements for approval of the importation of unregistered medicines for use in the public sector in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.MethodsThe study reviewed the legal provisions and requirements to be fulfilled when importing unregistered medicines for the public sector in SADC countries relative to two comparators drawn from countries with stringent regulatory systems through extant document analysis. The relative implementation index score was calculated and used to measure the level of implementing legal provisions and requirements to be fulfilled. Analysis was performed using the STATA software package. ResultsApproximately 13 out of 16 SADC countries had a relative implementation index below 50%. The aggregated implementation index across all SADC countries was 44%, ranging from 4% to 54%, while the two comparators had a relative implementation index of 81% and 85%, respectively.ConclusionImplementing the minimum requirements for importing unregistered medicines for the public sector was deficient compared to the jurisdictions with stringent regulatory systems, and wide implementation gaps also existed within the SADC region.

Subversion of Cultural Disparities against African Women: a Feminist critical analysis of Malatji’s short fiction

It is axiomatic that African women have been compromised by patriarchy for centuries, with culture used as a subterfuge. This paper, therefore, strives to subvert existing cultural adversities meted out against African women for African development. These unsavoury patriarchal tendencies are used to subjugate women by stifling their potential to make a meaningful contribution to Africa’s growth. The paper is, furthermore, based on a critical analysis of the dilemmas of women in Malatji’s short fiction from her text Love Interrupted (2012). It is underscored by African Feminism which is a transformative theory that seeks to popularise the emancipation of women from socio-cultural deprivation. directed by the qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was employed to select the short stories from other short stories by the same author, and textually analyse them. The paper recommends that for Africa to flourish, she should empower women for equal participation in socio-cultural engagements.