On this occasion, the Togolese president praised the solid relations of friendship, cooperation and mutual respect between Togo and Morocco, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, stressing Togo's particular interest in strengthening the dynamic of fruitful partnerships in the health sector. 

The Togolese head of State instructed ambassador Hilale to convey his fraternal greetings to HM King Mohammed VI. 

For his part, ambassador Hilale assured the president of Togo of the support of UNICEF's Executive Board for his Initiative against trafficking in fake Medicines. He also congratulated him for his personal commitment to federate energies for an effective fight against this traffic, as evidenced by the holding of this high-level Summit in Lomé. 

Morocco will be the advocate of the said Initiative, both within UNICEF and at the United Nations, he stressed. 

The Summit on "The fight against the traffic in substandard and falsified medicines" was opened by president Gnassingbé, with the participation of the heads of State of the Republics of Senegal, Macky Sall, and Uganda, Yoweri Museveni. The presidents of the other partner countries of the Initiative, Gambia, Ghana, Congo and Niger, were represented by their ministers of Health. 

Prince Michael de Kent and Jean-Yves Olivier, respectively honorary president and founding president of the Brazzaville Foundation, as well as the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) and eminent personalities and experts from the world of health also took part in this Summit. 

In his address before the heads of State, ambassador Omar Hilale said he had come to convey "the message of support and solidarity" of the Executive Board of UNICEF, which he chairs, to the Lomé Initiative on combating trafficking in substandard and falsified Medicines, which affects millions of children and women and is at the heart of UNICEF's mandate. 

Trafficking in fake medicines is considered by the United Nations to be one of the three most dangerous and lucrative illegal activities in the world, along with drug and arms trafficking, Hilale said. 

The Lomé Initiative is a historic event, Hilale said, adding that substandard and falsified medicines are no longer a public health problem, but a national and regional security issue, due to the connivance of networks trafficking fake medicines, weapons and drugs.