Beyond Identification: SAFER Project

Poor-quality medicines not only compromise treatment effectiveness but also put lives, especially those of mothers and children, at serious risk. The SAFER Project (“Beyond Identification of Substandard and Falsified Medicines: Structural Adjustment for Effective Response”) is a groundbreaking initiative addressing the critical threat posed by substandard and falsified (S/F) medicines.

The project aims to strengthen health systems in Malawi by ensuring that the detection of S/F medicines is followed by effective, coordinated action. Through enhanced regulatory frameworks, targeted capacity building, and improved collaboration, the SAFER Project ensures that healthcare providers are equipped with the knowledge and tools to act decisively. The project launch in April 2026 receives generous financial support from plan:G.

EPN in partnership with the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), Malawi’s Ministry of Health, and regulatory authorities, leads this effort to:

1. Strengthen regulatory systems and reporting mechanisms for faster response to S/F medicines.
2. Build awareness and technical skills among healthcare workers to detect and act on poor-quality medicines.
3. Promote multi-sectoral collaboration, breaking silos between regulatory, supply chain, and enforcement sectors.
4. Support data-driven decisions by integrating testing results from GPHF Minilabs and other monitoring tools.

By focusing on maternal, newborn, and child health products, the SAFER Project directly contributes to safer medicines, stronger health systems, and improved patient outcomes. This initiative aligns with global health priorities, including the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the Sustainable Development Goal of universal access to quality medicines.

Together with its partners, EPN is turning detection into action, creating a safer, more resilient pharmaceutical system for Malawi.