Kenya to host continental conference on medical products regulation

The conference, which aims to unlock Africa’s potential in health product manufacturing and trade, will take place from November 11 to 13, 2025.

The event is organised by the Government of Kenya, in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDANEPAD), and the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Board Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ahmed Mohamed, the SCoMRA VII will bring together policymakers, regulators, researchers, academia, manufacturers, and development partners from across Africa and globally to discuss advances in Africa's health product ecosystem. 

The conference aims to strengthen collaboration among regulatory authorities and stakeholders, define strategic actions to support local manufacturing and pooled procurement, promote innovation and digital transformation in regulatory systems and advance regulation efforts under the African Medicines Agency (AМА). 

Since the launch of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (AMRH) initiative in 2009, Africa has made significant progress in aligning regulatory standards and strengthening National Regulatory Authorities across Africa's Regional Economic Communities.

This year’s conference will assess progress in strengthening regulatory systems and explore how the emerging (AMA) can accelerate access to quality medical products, and advance Africa's health security through enhanced local manufacturing and intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFТА).

The three-day conference discussion will focus on strengthening harmonised regulatory oversight and leveraging local manufacturing.

AMA will play a role in advancing pooled procurement and intra-African trade, digitalisation, innovation, and Artificial Intelligence in regulatory systems, emergency preparedness and regulation of medical devices and diagnostics and greening Africa's pharmaceutical manufacturing ecosystem.