January 24, 2014

Global Medicines Program Faculty Presents at Africa Pharmacovigilance Meeting 2012

Andy Stergachis and Joseph Babigumira participated in the Africa Pharmacovigilance Meeting 2012: Ensuring Quality and Safety of Medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa which was held April 18 – 20, 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya.  The Kenya Ministries of Health (Ministry of Medical Services and Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation), the Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the USAID- funded Health Commodities and Services Management (HCSM), and the USAID-funded Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) programs sponsored the event with support through an interagency agreement between the US FDA and USAID.  The meeting brought together over 100 participants primarily from African regulatory authorities.  Attendees also included representatives from MSH, US FDA, USAID, World Health Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Medicines Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other key stakeholders.

Stergachis presented on Pharmacovigilance Metrics and Summary of Priority Tools, as well as chairing the final day of the conference. Babigumira presented Tools for Measuring Impact: A Model of Potential Return on Investment in Pharmacovigilance in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report, Safety of Medicines in sub-Saharan Africa: Assessment of Pharmacovigilance Systems and their Performance was officially released at this meeting.  More information on the Africa Pharmacovigilance Meeting 2012 can be found on the website: africapv2012.wordpress.com