Launch of the East African Community (EAC) Medicines Registration Harmonization (MRH) Project scheduled for 30 March 2012, Arusha, Tanzania. 

The NEPAD Agency and the East African Community, in collaboration with 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 the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), 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 and leads to rapid access to good quality, safe and effective medicines for priority diseases. This marks the beginning of the implementation phase of the AMRH Programme across Africa and is also a milestone reached towards improving access to essential medicines for priority diseases in Africa. The EAC Secretariat, in close collaboration with representatives from the NMRAs of all five partner states will implement the project. Partners hope that the successful implementation of the EAC project will serve as a beacon for other countries and regions to realize the benefits of harmonized regulations for their populations.

Speakers at the launch will include 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.

Other events also scheduled to take place at this occasion and venue include the AMRH Programme Stakeholders’ Plenary Meeting on 29 March 2012, convened to generate discussion on the way forward for medicines regulatory harmonization in Africa; the Inaugural meeting of the AMRH Advisory Committee on 30 March 2012, and the Roundtable meeting of experts and stakeholders on 31 March 2012 convened to generate discussion on ‘The role of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) and Academic institutions in the Institutionalization of Regulatory Training Programmes in Africa, using existing Regional structures’.

The AMRH Programme operationalises the African Union’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa (PMPA) which seeks to enable African countries to fulfil their national obligations to provide all citizens with safe, quality and efficacious essential medicines. A key area of activity is building and strengthening partnerships to support RECs in harmonizing medicines regulations. In this respect the  NEPAD Agency is collaborating with MUHAS to develop and support training programmes geared to strengthening medicines regulatory capacity and systems.

Related links
www.amrh.org
www.nepad.org
http://www.nepad.org/humancapitaldevelopment/health/about
http://www.nepad.org/events