The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) from the United Kingdom (UK) has picked the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) to be part of the pilot Veterinary global Benchmarking Tool (VgBT) project.
Zambia joins other countries in the SADC region who have undergone the Self assessment training, whose primary aim is to determine the effectiveness of the tool in measuring service delivery and general efficiency of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities in ensuring quality, safe and efficacious Veterinary Medicinal products.
The benchmarking tool is designed to cater for different regulatory functions, and many adaptations have already been made to it following several consultations with various partners.
Welcoming the VMD team, led by Noel Joseph, ZAMRA Director – General Mr Makomani Siyanga said for the Authority, the training was not just an experience, but a means to respond to calls at different health forums for one health approach in terms of regulating medicines
He is optimistic the tool will propel the institution to greater efficiency and excellence. “Taking the team through this process to appreciate what you have is overwhelming to me because I believe in standards.” Mr Siyanga told the VMD delegation. He said in as much as it was a pilot project, ZAMRA will use the introduced Self benchmarking tool to improve its systems and enhance service delivery.
When providing background, Noel Joseph highlighted that the project stemmed from a preliminary assessment of Institutions regulating Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMPs) in the Sub-Saharan region, and how their capacities could be enhanced through harmonisation initiatives.
It was established that different countries and regions had different approaches when it came to regulation of VMPs. “We consulted widely and shared a list of indicators with a number of regulators in Sub-Saharan Africa to find out if everything made sense, whether we needed to make adjustments and whether the tool would serve a purpose, and broadly speaking it was recognized as a good thing and that it does fill a gap.” explained Mr Joseph.
Harmonised processes by institutions operating at similar level would give confidence and assurance to industry players with regards investments made versus marketing authorisation time frames and access to quality, safe and efficacious veterinary medicines, consequently benefiting livestock and companion animal owners.
During the training, the VMD team interacted with representatives from relevant Units of the Authority to establish the relevance of the tool and applicability to ZAMRA’s functions. Mr Joseph advised that the pilot project was meant to help make a revision and ensure that the tool is fit or useful regardless the setup, country or region.
A key feature to note is that the tool is based on an adaption of the World Health Organisation (WHO) global benchmarking tool, which is primarily skewed towards human medicines. The VgBT eliminates this bias and provides a focus primarily on Veterinary Medicinal Products, and can be used to assess various levels of Institutional maturity in the regulation of VMP’s.
It is envisaged that once the pilot phase is concluded, it may be co-opted by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as a reference benchmarking tool for regulatory institutions and provide a basis for recognition and reliance.
Closing the training which started on Monday, 25th and ended on Wednesday 27th March 2024, Acting Director Medicines Control Mr Lyoko Nyambe assured the VMD team that the knowledge imparted will be put to good use.
Story by Lister M. Mutukwa – Public Relations Officer
