Arusha hosts Africa Medicine Harmonization Meeting

The NEPAD Agency, on behalf of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) Programme partners – the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,the World Bank, UK Department for International Development (DfID), and Clinton Health Access Initiative, will launch the East African Community (EAC) Medicines Registration Harmonization (MRH) Project on the morning of 30 March 2012 at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, Arusha,

Tanzania.

The EAC MRH Project will promote the harmonization of medicines registration in the region, which is a key contributor to public health andleads to rapid access to good quality, safe and effective medicines for priority diseases.

Essential medicines save lives and improve health when they are available, affordable, of assured quality and used rationally. However, lack of access to essential medicines remains one of the most serious global public health problems.

Africa’s regions have similar health and technological challenges and relatively low levels of investment in health research, drug discovery and pharmaceutical development, compared to other continents. Countries in Africa are struggling to produce, procure and make safe and essential medicines available to their populations.

This is mainly because of limited budgets, lack of adequate infrastructure and human

resources and a range of regulatory barriers including weak and/or absent medicines legislation and legal frameworks.

According to the NEPAD Agency CEO, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, “The regulation of medicines and harmonization of technical standards andlegislative frameworks have emerged as important components of the regional economic integration efforts”.

The launch of the EAC MRH Project marks the beginning of the implementation phase of the AMRH Programme across Africa. Moreover, it is also a milestone reached towards improving access to essential medicines for priority diseases in Africa.

Speakers including Ministers, high-level representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), the NEPAD Agency, EAC Officials, representatives of EAC National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs), regional pharmaceutical associations, international organizations and donors will grace this event. Prior to the launch, a stakeholders’ technical consultation will be held on the morning of 29 March and the inaugural meeting of the AMRH Programme Advisory Committee will take place on 30 March at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge, testifying to the accomplishment of another key milestone of the AMRH Programme.

After a series of rigorous consultations with RECS, NMRAs and industry, AMRH partners have successfully finalized and secured funding for the EAC MRH Project. In addition, proposals for SADC and ECOWAS regions are at an advanced stage for donor consideration.