Refurbishment of herbal medicine processing facility:
The herbal medicine processing facility has been painted. The main production areas have been painted with oil paint to meet the requirements of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA). The other areas including the outside walls have been painted with emulsion paint. Terrazzo has been used from the window level down to the base to strengthen the base. To enhance the security of the facility, burglar proof has been installed on the two doorways.
Procurement and installation of processing equipment:
Three processing equipment, namely; boiler, vacuum dryer, and herbal distiller have been procured but are yet to arrive at the port for clearance and installation. They are expected to arrive at the Tema port between the first and second week in September 2023.

Contacts have been made with the Food and Drugs Authority to discuss modalities and requirements for the approval of the herbal medicine and the certification of the processing facility. From the meetings and discussions, the procedure is such that the processing machines needed to be installed and inspected together with the facility before the certification could be granted. The same applies to the licensing of the medicine. The samples have to go through analysis either at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology or the Centre for Medical Research into Plant Medicine at Akuapim Mampong and results are sent to the Food and Drugs Authority for further analysis and approval. The samples will be processed in the facility for onward submission to Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology for laboratory analysis and results will be submitted to the Food and Drugs Authority for analysis and approval.

Subject Traditional Herbal Practitioners to Food and Drugs Authority Regulations
Meeting the regulations of the Food and Drugs Authority is a prerequisite to engaging in herbal medicine processing and production. One major regulatory requirement is to be declared medically fit to engage in the processing of herbal medicine. To this end, Traditional Herbal practitioners have undergone medical examination as the art of meeting the regulatory requirements of the Food and Drugs Authority.

Get the processing Facility Licensed
Discussions have been held with the Food and Drugs Authority regarding the licensing of the processing facility. However, since the processing equipment has not been installed yet inspection and eventual licensing are yet to be done. It will therefore be done as soon as the equipment is installed.

Project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Management:
Project monitoring and management is very crucial to achieve the expected objectives and outcomes of the project. It is a means to measure the success or otherwise of the project and to inform the needed reviews and adjustments to project implementation through lessons learned. Project site visits were made to the processing facility during the period under review when the refurbishment was ongoing.