Dr. Tamer Al-Husseiny, Vice chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), participated in the first meeting of Health Ministers of the member states of the Developing Eight (D-8) for Economic Cooperation, hosted in Cairo under the theme: ""Innovation, Equity, and Resilience.""
The meeting comes as part of the Authority’s support for regional health cooperation efforts and its commitment to strengthening strong and sustainable health systems among member states.
During the event, Dr. Al-Husseiny took part in the third session dedicated to enhancing access to medicines and vaccines, which focused on exchanging national experiences in supporting local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, technology transfer, and advancing regulatory frameworks to ensure safe and equitable access to medicines across D-8 countries.
Al-Husseiny emphasized that advancing local manufacturing of medicines and vaccines is a strategic priority for Egypt, noting that the Egyptian Drug Authority is working to strengthen its regulatory frameworks and expand its oversight capabilities in accordance with international standards.
He further highlighted that cooperation among member states presents an important opportunity to exchange successful experiences, enhance mutual reliance, and support technology-transfer initiatives, ultimately improving access to medicines and achieving health security for all member countries.
This participation comes in conjunction with Egypt’s assumption of the rotating presidency of the D-8 group from May 2024 until the end of 2025, as part of the country's efforts to deepen international partnerships and support sustainable health development pathways.
This is the first health-sector meeting within a series of specialized technical meetings of the group, with participation from member states: Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and Bangladesh, in addition to Azerbaijan, which joined as a new member in December 2024.
The active participation of the Egyptian Drug Authority reinforces joint cooperation with the ministries of health and regulatory authorities of the member states, supporting the development of shared health policies, improving access to medicines and vaccines, promoting local manufacturing, and reflecting the Authority’s commitment to strengthening international relations and strategic partnerships.
It also reaffirms the EDA’s dedication to supporting an integrated pharmaceutical system that serves public health and improves citizens’ well-being.