Bureaucracy has delayed plans for three FDA offices in China

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt on Friday said that Chinese bureaucracy has delayed plans to establish FDA offices in three cities -- Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou -- that would monitor exports of food, medications, medical devices and other consumer products to the U.S., the Associated Press reports.

Leavitt said that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs must formally approve the plans, after which the agency will begin the process of approval of diplomatic visas for the 13 FDA employees who will staff the offices.

In addition to China, Leavitt said that he hopes to establish FDA offices in India. He said, "There are 90 to 100 FDA-inspected facilities there producing mostly drugs and medical devices," adding, "I expect that number to grow. The connection between the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and India is real and expanding. We just need to be there."

Leavitt also said that he might seek to establish FDA offices in Central America (Associated Press, 5/23). According to Leavitt, Central America exports a large amount of fruits and vegetables to the U.S. He said that he plans to discuss the issue, as well as other concerns related to food safety, with health officials from El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and other Central American nations at a conference in June (Rockoff, Baltimore Sun, 5/24).

Leavitt also addressed the recent Senate approval of a supplemental war appropriations bill that would provide an additional $275 million for FDA. The additional funds "could be well deployed," he said (Associated Press, 5/23).