In a context where pharmaceutical regulation is crucial for public health in Senegal, the Syndicat autonome des médecins, pharmaciens et chirurgiens-dentistes du Sénégal (SAMES), section Agence sénégalaise de Réglementation pharmaceutique (ARP), published an alarming communiqué on Thursday 19 September 2025. This document highlights a series of persistent dysfunctions which, according to the syndicate, threaten the essential mission of the ARP: to guarantee the quality, the efficacy and the safety of the medicines available to the Senegalese population. The communiqué of the SAMES denounces “serious and persistent dysfunctions” within the ARP, which have persisted for several months. Among the main complaints raised were recurrent delays in the payment of salaries and bonuses. As an example, the salaries for the month of August 2025 have still not been paid, which generates a growing frustration among the staff and impacts their daily motivation. The trade union also points the finger at human resource management practices considered problematic. Appointments based on clientelism, familial or partisan affiliation are strongly criticized, as are massive recruitments characterized as “complacency”.
Dysfunctions at the ARP: SAMES raises the alarm and calls on the Senegalese authorities
