Kenya urges African regulators to harmonise health product rules

African health regulators must unify their systems and enhance collaboration to improve access to health products, according to Pharmacy and Poisons Board Chairperson Dr. John Munyu. At the conclusion of the 6th PharmaReg & MedDevReg AfriSummit in Nairobi, Dr. Munyu emphasized the necessity of regulatory cooperation, promoting local manufacturing, and creating stronger markets for products developed in Africa.

He emphasized that regulators, policymakers, manufacturers, and development partners should put the knowledge acquired at the Summit into practice by implementing better policies, making regulatory decisions, and maintaining strong partnerships.

Throughout the summit, delegates heard presentations, participated in plenary discussions, and exchanged experiences from various regulatory jurisdictions. Dr. Munyu highlighted that the summit's worth would be determined by the actions taken by delegates in their respective institutions. He stressed that dependable regulatory systems are crucial for protecting public health, building confidence, and ensuring prompt access to safe, high-quality, effective, and affordable health products and technologies.

The PPB Chair also urged delegates to prioritize patients and establish efficient, responsive systems.

Dr. Munyu's remarks mirrored Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale's opening address, which highlighted the importance of African countries, regulators, and institutions working together to shape the pharmaceutical future of the continent. Duale pointed out that Africa presently imports more than 70% of the health products it consumes, underscoring the need to expand local manufacturing and reduce supply chain vulnerabilities.

He added that Africa's pharmaceutical future cannot be achieved by any single country, regulator, or institution operating in isolation. Duale called on countries to strengthen regulatory harmonization, embrace local manufacturing, and develop stronger African markets for products made on the continent.

Duale also mentioned that Kenya is implementing the 2026-2030 Health Products and Technologies Local Manufacturing Strategy, aiming to produce at least 50% of essential health products locally. The country has seen the emergence of 13 new pharmaceutical companies, some of which are already exporting products. Kenya is also working to enhance systems to ensure the safety and traceability of health products in the market.