Africa-Press – Liberia. In a historic move to strengthen medicine safety monitoring and clinical trial oversight across Africa, the Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) on Monday convened its first-ever stakeholders conference on pharmacovigilance and clinical trials at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex.
Held under the theme “Medicine Safety Monitoring and Clinical Trials Oversight in Emerging Regulatory Systems,” the two-day gathering brought together regulators, researchers, policymakers, and global partners to advance discussions on patient safety, innovation, and stronger regional regulatory frameworks.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto, a proxy from the Ministry of Health underscored pharmacovigilance as a cornerstone of patient safety and clinical research integrity. The statement highlighted the importance of robust systems, integration of real-world evidence, and the use of digital tools—such as artificial intelligence and mobile health technologies—to strengthen drug safety monitoring. Ethical issues including data ownership, patient confidentiality, and harmonized reporting were also spotlighted.
In his official opening remarks, Hon. Luke L. Bawo, LMHRA’s Managing Director, welcomed national and international delegates, including representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), Africa CDC, and regional drug regulatory bodies. He announced LMHRA’s plan to launch a “track and trace” program for medical products and upgrade the agency’s quality-control laboratory, while calling for stronger collaboration with lawmakers and the Ministry of Health.
Global and regional health leaders echoed similar calls for unity and capacity building.
WHO’s Regional Office for Africa (AVAREF) emphasized its role in harmonizing regulatory processes, supporting joint clinical trial reviews, and providing technical training to strengthen oversight.
The West African Health Organization (WAHO) reaffirmed the need for regional harmonization and information-sharing to build trust and ensure safe medical products.
Nigeria’s NAFDAC and Ghana’s FDA shared lessons on strengthening pharmacovigilance systems, introducing bioequivalence requirements for generics, and using digital platforms to process clinical trial applications.
Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and The Gambia highlighted both the challenges of limited resources and the opportunities for deeper collaboration to enhance regulatory science in West Africa.
Speakers collectively stressed that Africa, with its population of over 1.4 billion, hosts less than 3% of global clinical trials—a gap requiring urgent investment in infrastructure, human capacity, and regional cooperation.
Dr. James P. Komeh of the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone praised Liberia’s leadership in convening the forum, while Rwanda FDA’s Robert Rutayisire urged stakeholders to embrace partnerships that ensure accountability and patient-centered approaches in clinical trials.
The conference also served as a platform for health authorities to recommit to continental initiatives such as the African Medicines Agency (AMA) and WHO’s regulatory benchmarking framework.
As discussions continue, delegates are expected to map out actionable strategies to strengthen pharmacovigilance, enhance clinical trial oversight, and build a stronger, harmonized regional regulatory network.
“This gathering underscores our shared responsibility to protect patients, strengthen trust, and ensure that medical products across Africa are not just effective-but safe,” the LMHRA stated.
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