Date: 2018-05-09 13:38:08 ID: 1840
Under the auspices of the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), in collaboration with the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the technical and financial support of partners (World Bank, WHO, NEPAD, BMGF), the seven (7) Technical Working Groups (TWG) constituted within the framework of the harmonisation of medicines certification in the West Africa region met in Accra, Ghana, from 30th to 4th May 2018 to develop the Guidelines.
The Guidelines comprising directives, standard operational procedures (SOP), as well as quality manuals for each of the seven areas will in the long run enable the establishment in all the fifteen members member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) a single and integrated system for the certification of medicines.
This procedure takes account of the situation where there is proliferation in the West Africa sub-region, of drugs that are counterfeit, false or of poor quality, leading ECOWAS through WAHO and WAEMU and in collaboration with technical and financial partners, to work towards the harmonisation of directives and procedures in line with the overall West Africa Medicines Regulations Harmonisation (WA-MRH) project, supported by the World Bank. The aim is to improve the availability of safe and quality medicines and vaccines on the ECOWAS pharmaceutical market by strengthening ad harmonising the medicines regulations systems and enhancing efficiency and transparency in the registration of medicines and vaccines.
About forty Experts from various National Medicines Regulatory Authorities, National Medicines Quality Control Laboratories, Universities and Research Institutes from ECOWAS member States as well as the relevant resource persons participated in the meeting.
At the opening of deliberations, the Professional in charge of Essential Medicines and Vaccines, Mrs Sybil OSSEI AGYEMAN YEBOAH, on behalf of the Director General of WAHO, Professor Stanley OKOLO, outlined the objectives of the Medicines Harmonisation Regulations in the region, which is to facilitate the circulation and availability of quality, safe and effective medicines in the ECOWAS region. She called on the Experts to have a constructive and fruitful discussion.
It is worth noting that the WAHO DG, Professor Stanley OKOLO, who was present in Ghana, paid a visit to the participants on 2nd and 3rd May 2018. He encouraged the Experts present and wished them fruitful discussions.