DHAKA, July 3, 2024 (BSS) - Health Minister Dr. Samanta Lal Sen today laid emphasis on maintaining standard of medicine alongside ensuring its efficacy for protection of human health.

"It is a huge challenge for human health as substandard medicines are produced side by side increasing trend of drug adulteration," he told the annual meeting of member states of South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN) here, an official release said.

The South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN) is a volunteer association of the National Regulatory Authorities of the countries in the WHO South-East Asia region: Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

Samanta said, "We can overcome emerging challenges in the drug production sector through joint works of the South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN). The role of SEARN is very crucial to ensure quality drug production with maintaining efficacy against diseases."