BY CHIOMA OBINNA

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has called on the heads of National Medicine Regulatory Authorities,  NMRA, and West African Economic Monetary Union, WAEMU, to fast track the harmonisation of medicine regulation in West African region.

Making the call at the meeting of NMRA and WAEMU in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Director General, NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii who explained need for the harmonisation regime, reeled out the benefits of the common guidelines and governance mechanism which according to him will see the sub-region witness an improved public health as a result of the rapid access to safe and efficacious medicine to treat priority diseases.

Other benefits of the harmonisation, according to the NAFDAC’s DG, includes economic gains that can be derived from harmonising documentation and the attendant cost reduction for regulatory authorities.

He noted that the harmonisation will reduce duplication as it affects inspection activities and cut down cost initially incurred from sponsoring large number of inspectors by National Medicine Regulatory Authorities to manufacturing companies, reduced burden on companies, increase capacity building and information sharing, whilst improving regulatory confidence among member states.

The meeting was fashioned to promote the adoption of common set of standards, documentation and procedures for medicine regulation among member countries of the 15 ECOWAS countries.

In furtherance of the above, the meeting request WAEMU and WAHO to accelerate the setting up and functioning of the regional steering committee during the three year transition period.

Orhii however concluded that the harmonisation will no doubt boost economy of Nigeria following the pre-qualification drive of Nigerian Pharmaceutical companies and subsequent WHO GMP certification of one of the companies.

Participants resolved  to work together to achieve convergence in three years, prepare a common action plan based on the commonalities observed in the action plan presented by WAEMU and non-WAEMU group and to form a short term plan to be submitted to the partners for funding.