European Manufacturing Does Not Guarantee Better Medicine Quality, Minister Says

Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim has said that the quality of medicines is not improved by being manufactured in Europe, and that ensuring the quality of medicines is more important than the country of origin.

Nazim’s comments came today, while President Mohamed Muizzu had previously stated that the government would source quality medicines directly from Europe, suggesting that European or US-made products were superior. President Muizzu had prioritised not relying on India at that time, when the relationship between the two countries were fraught.

During a press conference at the President’s Office, Nazim clarified that the government’s policy has always prioritised providing quality medicines to the public. He stressed that high-quality medicines can be produced in countries such as India and Bangladesh, and that the focus remains on meeting rigorous quality standards rather than the region of manufacture.

The minister noted that many medicines supplied to Europe are themselves manufactured in India or Pakistan, noting that the key factor is verifying quality before distribution in the Maldives. He added that ongoing efforts are in place to strengthen quality assurance systems to ensure medicines provided to the public meet safety and efficacy standards.

Relations between the Maldives and India have cooled since the President announced plans to import medicines from Europe and the United States, despite the country being the largest importer of pharmaceuticals from India. The government has indicated its aim to reduce reliance on imports and diversify the country’s pharmaceutical sources.