FDA Must Pay Attention To TV Advertisement And Programming

The liberalization of the airwaves and the subsequent digitization that has take place, has given Ghanaians a lot of option, as far as free to air television is concern.

In as much as the state cannot regulate the practice of one’s faith, it has the responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens.

These days a lot of things go on, on the various television stations in the name of programmes and advertisement.

Spiritualists, parading as herbal medicine practitioners openly advertise on some of these television stations, medicines that cure chronic ailments that, by the rules of the World Health Organization (WHO) are not supposed to be advertised.

Viral infections, such as HIV Aids, Hepatitis B, etc, which so far, have no definitive cure, are advertised with these herbalists claiming to have a cure

. Among some of the ridiculous one is what they call penis enlargement. Which regulatory authority anywhere in the world, will give certification to any company, be it herbal or pharmaceutical to protect medicine that, enlarges penis.

The Food and Drugs Authourity (FDA), must get out of their comfort zone and start focusing on what is happening on our television stations.

When in desperate situation, people will fall for almost anything. It is the responsibility of the FDA, to safeguard their safety and ensure that, they do not fall for the tricks of quack doctors.

Juju is advertised like any other product. Unsuspecting Ghanaians are being promised of quick money and women marriages. Soaps claimed to have spiritual purposes are sold on live television.

Don’t we have enough problems already, to allow some unscrupulous people to be telling the youth of the country that, you can get rich, not by working, but by coming to see them.

Maybe these promises of get rich quick are not regulated, but the medicines that have the properties to cure virtually every sickness in the world, must be checked.

FDA, and all the regulatory authorities, must up their game. These adverts used to be done in commercial cars i.e. trotro and long distances buses at the various terminals, now they have also gone high tech, taking advantage of the proliferation of television stations.