The Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) concluded the activities of the inaugural meeting of the North African Medicine Regulatory Harmonization Initiative (NA-MRH), which was held over 3 days and hosted by Cairo, with the participation of African Union Development Agency - New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD) and the World Health Organization (WHO), and in the presence of prominent figures from medicine regulatory bodies in North African states, and international experts in the field of pharmaceutical regulation.
During the meeting, Dr. Ali Al-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the EDA, emphasized the importance of launching the initiative as a strategic step to enhance pharmaceutical integration in North Africa. He highlighted that harmonizing regulatory framework will facilitate pharmaceutical registration, ensure quality & safety, as well as improve patient access. He stressed that success relies on ongoing cooperation, expertise exchange, and best practices, reaffirming Egypt’s commitment to regional pharmaceutical security. He thanked participants, emphasizing that this meeting marks a real step toward a more efficient and flexible regulatory system in North Africa (NA).
The meetings featured EDA’s participation in various pharmaceutical and regulatory sessions. Dr. Sherine Abdel Gawad, Head of the Central Administration for Pharmaceutical Care, presented EDA’s vision for pharmacovigilance (PV) and and its achievements considering EDA’s adoption of the third maturity level (ML-3) according to the WHO’s classification for regulating medicines and vaccines. Dr. Maha Mohamed, Director General of Pharmacovigilance, shared key statistics and recommendations for improving PV in NA. Dr. Omnia AbdAllah discussed EDA’s role in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), highlighting regulatory inspection achievements and efforts to enhance regional cooperation, training, and pharmaceutical integration among member states.
Egypt was elected President of the initiative for 3 years, with Morocco as Vice President and Tunisia as the Technical Secretariat. This reflects global and regional confidence in Egypt’s pharmaceutical control system and the EDA’s institutional excellence. The EDA’s international accreditations, WHO compliance, and cooperation with AUDA highlight its leadership in pharmaceutical regulation and oversight.
On the sidelines of the closing meetings, the delegation visited the EDA laboratories in Mansouriya, joined by the Chair of the AMRH program at AUDA-NEPAD, regulatory leaders from Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia, and WHO and AUDA representatives. The tour showcased the EDA’s regulatory capabilities and lab modernization efforts. This reflects the EDA’s commitment to health integration, ensuring affordable, high-quality medicines, and strengthening regulatory capacities in Africa.