Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, received a delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO) to follow up on the joint cooperation between the organization and the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).
This visit is part of the preparations for the official re-evaluation of the Egyptian Drug Authority's accreditation renewal at maturity level 3 (ML3) in 2026. The visit also includes conducting the necessary preliminary reviews in preparation for the authority's efforts to achieve maturity level 4 in the manufacture of vaccines and pharmaceutical preparations.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, explained that this visit is part of the authority's preparations to achieve maturity level 4 in the manufacture of vaccines and pharmaceutical preparations. He noted that Egypt is the first African country to achieve the advanced maturity level 3 (ML3) in the field of drug and vaccine control.
Abdel Ghaffar emphasized that the periodic training conducted by WHO follow-up missions to enhance the efficiency of regulatory bodies has demonstrated the Egyptian Drug Authority's commitment to ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of locally produced and imported medicines, as part of the state's ongoing efforts to advance the pharmaceutical sector to the highest international standards.
The official spokesperson added that the post-vaccination vaccine side effect monitoring system is one of the key factors that helped the Egyptian Drug Authority obtain WHO accreditation for Level 3 maturity. The authority relies on this system as a vital part of its accreditation renewal procedures, contributing to enhanced confidence in the Egyptian regulatory system for pharmaceutical products and vaccines.
Abdel Ghaffar pointed out that the Egyptian Drug Authority's achievement of this classification came after an official calibration of the authority by a team of international experts led by the World Health Organization. The assessment was conducted using the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool for Self-Benchmarking (GBT), an approved assessment tool that verifies regulatory performance across more than 260 indicators, including product authorization, product testing, and market monitoring, with the aim of determining the authority's level of maturity and institutional readiness.
It is worth noting that this achievement reflects Egypt's commitment to implementing the highest international regulatory standards in the pharmaceutical industry. It contributes to strengthening Egypt's global competitiveness in this vital sector, opening new horizons for Egyptian pharmaceutical exports, attracting significant foreign investment, and supporting the country's strategy to localize the pharmaceutical industry, ensuring sustainability and strengthening the national economy.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Ali El-Ghamrawy, Head of the Egyptian Drug Authority; Dr. Amr Kandil, Deputy Minister of Health and Population; Dr. Yassin Ragai, Assistant Head of the Egyptian Drug Authority; Dr. Rady Hammad, Head of the Preventive Medicine Sector; and Dr. Hesham Magdy, Director General of the General Administration of Environmental Health.
From the World Health Organization, Dr. Nema Abed, WHO Representative in Egypt; Dr. Hoda Langer, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean; and Dr. Mona Maarouf, WHO Office in Egypt, participated.
Source: Egypt Today
