Guinea-Bissau Implements National System to Ensure Pharmaceutical Authenticity

Guinea-Bissau has enacted a national mandate for pharmaceutical traceability, establishing a regulatory system that requires the tracking and authentication of every medicine throughout the supply chain.

Officially announced on 26 September, this initiative, in partnership with Italy’s Antares Vision Group (AVG), aims to secure patient access to treatments and modernise the management of the pharmaceutical sector.

The system incorporates several essential tools, including the National Catalogue of Medicines, which serves as a centralised platform for all health product data. Starting in October 2025, it will be enhanced by AVGroupHub, a digital interface accessible to manufacturers, importers, distributors, and dispensers. This system will require product registration, complying with regulations that will take effect in March 2026, ensuring complete traceability and strengthening efforts against illegal distribution channels.

This initiative addresses significant challenges in pharmaceutical regulation in Guinea-Bissau, including parallel distribution circuits, a lack of centralised control, and the absence of reliable data on drug availability.