Egypt has been elected to preside over the North African Medicine Regulatory Harmonization Initiative (NA-MRH) for the next three years. Alongside Egypt, Morocco has been appointed as Vice President and Tunisia as Technical Secretary.

The initiative’s first meeting, which included the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and the World Health Organization (WHO), was hosted in Egypt from February 18 to 20. The event brought together leading figures from the continent to strategize on healthcare regulation.

Dr. Ali Al-Ghamrawi, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), addressed the need for North African countries to unify their regulatory standards to streamline the approval of pharmaceutical products. This integration aims to make essential medicines more accessible and improve pharmaceutical security across the region.

This meeting marks a significant step for Egypt following its recent WHO accreditation for ML3 in medicines,affirming its enhanced role in the pharmaceutical sector across Africa. The initiative is part of a broader movement to improve collaboration within the continent and with global organizations to advance pharmaceutical regulatory frameworks.

Egypt is at the forefront, aiming to quicken the pace of pharmaceutical registrations and enhance the quality and safety of medicines throughout the region.