ISSUE 6SAHPRA Can’t Stay Out of the Hot Seat!Sally-Jay StrongSAHPRA has been taken to task again for their wishy-washy attempts to (mis)manage and (over)regulate our access to Natural Health in South Africa. One reliable source speculates about a new turn-style being installed with their logo on it!
All jokes aside, seeing the “South African Health Products Regulatory Authority” in court so often for the same/similar issues is disheartening in the worst possible sense of the word.
This time it’s about Traditional Healers and classification of & access to Natural Health Products. 
“In 2018 the Alliance for Natural Health Products South Africa (ANHPSA) won a Gauteng North High Court judgement (Case 11203/2018) which struck down as unlawful and unconstitutional, the 2017 complementary medicine regulations under the Medicines and Related substances Act (Act 101 of 1965) … In her judgement (delivered on 1 September 2020) Judge Kubushi found that not all complementary medicines and health supplements are necessarily medicines requiring pre-approval (registration) by SAHPRA, and by extension companies selling such products would not be required to be licensed as pharmaceutical importers, wholesalers, or distributors.” 
SAHPRA has proceeded to roll out its complementary medicine Guidelines along with a Road Map for the industry, which they are using to try to coerce companies to apply for pharmaceutical manufacturing, import, wholesale, and distribution licences.

In collusion with the Port Health Authority, they have been illegally blocking all imports of complementary medicines and health supplements and demanding that importers apply for their products to be released, despite the fact that no complementary medicines or health supplements have been granted registration as ‘medicines’ under Section 14 of the Medicines Act and are therefore not even under their jurisdiction.

The fact that there has been no update on the judgement by the 30th of March 2022 is disconcerting to say the least. It seems as if there is no great hurry for the law makers, while traditional healers wait with bated breath as the fate of their livelihoods hangs in the balance once again.

The majority of South Africans still use traditional & natural health products on a frequent basis. In fact, there is an overwhelming trend which has been building in recent years which has only reinforced the necessity of maintaining optimal health with the use of immune supporting NATURAL health supplements. Imagine if these were suddenly declared illegal! If you are one of our regular subscribers, I’m sure you have an inkling of just how devastating this could be, unless you happen to own a pharmacy …

The TNHA is actively litigating to defend the natural rights of South Africans to choose non synthetic pharmacological products and upholds and supports the natural health industry products and values in court to create just laws.

If you own a manufacturing, wholesale, importation, distribution, or retail company (shop) in the natural health products sector, the time has come to become a THNA supporting member.

If you are a practitioner who prescribes or recommends natural health products in your practice or consultancy, we can’t continue to defend your business interests at this high and necessary level without your support.

The ANHPSA is led by its Chairman Anthony Rees, who is also the Chairman of the Traditional & Natural Health Alliance (TNHA).
If you have any queries, contact Anthony Rees on 0723777598, or email the TNHA at contact@tnha.co.za