Dar reaffirms commitment to pharmaceutical, health policy

BERNARD LUGONGO

EAST African Community (EAC) Senior Health Officer, Medicines and Food Safety Unit, Jane Mashingia, in consultation with the Director General of Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) Hiiti Sillo (centre) and Chief Pharmacist Henry Irunde, before presenting her paper during a two-day National Stakeholder’s Consultation meeting to validate the draft EAC Medicines and Health Technologies Policy in Dar es Salaam yesterday. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

THE government has reaffirmed its commitment to develop and implement regional pharmaceutical and health technologies policy at the country level.

Chief Pharmacist for the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Mr Henry Irunde, made an assurance yesterday in Dar es Salaam.

The government’s stance comes as the East African Community (EAC) partner states are currently engaging stakeholders on discussion and ultimately recommendations to the draft Regional Medicines and Health Technologies Policy and Strategic Plan. EAC Partner States had agreed to cooperate in health activities as provided in the EAC Treaty, Chapter 21, Article 118 (c).

Tanzania has become the first member state to embark on validation and verification of the Draft, with stakeholders gathering in the city for a two-day meeting from yesterday for the purpose.

Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) hosted the country-level meeting from which the recommendations would be forwarded to the regional body for further steps.

Mr Irunde, who represented the Chief Medical Officer Mohhamud Kandi at the meeting, said a common drug policy was a very crucial instrument because it acts as a formal record of aspirations, aims, decisions and commitments of the EAC Partner States’ governments in the pharmaceutical sector.

“These discussions are important because they create a mechanism to bring all parties together and achieve a sense of collective ownership of the final policy. Therefore, the policy development process is just as important as the policy document,” he said.

Director General of TFDA, Mr Hiiti Sillo, noted that one of the important steps in the process of developing EAC policies and strategies for any sector is the engagement of various national stakeholders from each partner state before a regional consensus is reached.