Kigali – Rwanda, 12 April 2024 – The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority
(SAHPRA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Rwanda Food and
Drug Authority (Rwanda FDA).
The MOU between SAHPRA and Rwanda FDA will allow the regulators to develop a
cooperative partnership towards ensuring access to safe, quality, and effective health
products in the respective countries.
Areas of cooperation
SAHPRA and Rwanda FDA will cooperate in joint products reviews and inspections to enable
efficient access to health products. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set up an
initiative for establishing a mRNA technology transfer hub, together with six spokes, in
Africa as a strategy to increase mRNA vaccine production capacity in under-served regions
and thus promote regional health security. Rwanda is one of the spokes and South Africa
being the hub. Thus, building on this model, SAHPRA and Rwanda FDA will collaborate in the
area of mRNA vaccines regulatory oversight.
Read also: How to improve feasibility of local pharma manufacturing in Africa (africanpharmaceuticalreview.com)
“The forging of partnerships with fellow African National Regulatory Authorities, namely the
Rwanda Food and Drug Authority allows SAHPRA to further our drive in enhancing and
building capacity on the continent,” says SAHPRA CEO, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela.
“The signing of this MoU underscores the profound potential of collaboration among African
NRAs, affirming that the solutions to our shared challenges lie within our continent. Rwanda
FDA staunchly believes in the power of collaboration and strategic partnerships. This MoU
symbolises the culmination of dedicated efforts and signifies our unwavering commitment
to facilitating mutual exchange and enhancing regulatory oversight. Through collaborative
efforts with SAHPRA, we aim to strengthen our regulatory capacity and promote public
health. As we embark on this journey together, let us harness the collective strength of our
agencies to advance the pharmaceutical sector in Rwanda and beyond,” shares Rwanda FDA
Director-General, Professor Emile Bienvenu.
