Medicines Regulatory Authorities in OIC Countries Adopt 8-Point plan to Attain Self-Reliance in Halal Certified Medicines and Vaccines

Date: 22/11/2018

At the end of their two-day meeting in Jakarta, Heads of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) from OIC Member States have adopted an 8-point plan to promote collaboration for self-reliance in the production and supply of Halal certified affordable and quality medicines and vaccines (2019-2021). The plan includes the need to intensify cooperation and working together with pharmaceutical industries through investing in R&Ds for Halal medicine and vaccine in the OIC Member States.

At the meeting, held in the capital of Indonesia on 21-22 November 2018, the Heads of NMRAs from OIC Member States stressed the need to identify challenges and needs of Halal medicines and vaccines taking into account the importance to ensure public health protection in OIC Member States. The plan also makes provision for developing Halal conformity assessment system for medicines and vaccines.

The meeting created a steering committee that will maintain the work and network of the Forum by holding OIC-NMRAs meetings at least once every two years, and hold coordination meetings among the OIC NMRAs on the sidelines of the International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA).

The Action Plan also provides for the human capacity development program for various NMRAs, through exchange of expertise between OIC Member States, and the creation of an online platform to facilitate the provision of capacity-building needs amongst OIC NMRAs.
Creating adequate and sustainable funding system for NMRAs, developing effective systems for combatting substandard and falsified medicines and enhancing Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance by local manufacturers were also included in the Action Plan.
The Heads of the OIC NMRAs also issued a Jakarta Declaration which noted with concern that, many developing countries including some OIC Member States, have insufficient or no manufacturing capacities in the pharmaceutical industry; the local industry covers a small fraction of domestic pharmaceutical demand and that they rely heavily on imports and medicinal aid.

The NMRAs in the OIC Member States, therefore, will undertake to actively participate in the effective and timely implementation of the OIC Action Plan to promote self-reliance in Halal certified medicines and vaccines 2019-2021.

In his closing remarks, OIC Assistant Secretary General for Science and Technology Amb. Muhammad Naeem Khan said the meeting is a big milestone, but the real work will have to start now to implement the Plan of Action. He urged the OIC Member States to actively take ownership of the process.

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