Team-up to rid world of two deadly viruses
IF MEDICINES, vaccines and diagnostics for Ebola during the West Africa epidemic had been available, thousands of lives could have been saved and massive economic disruption averted.
The matter was raised yesterday as the national Department of Health hosts the 17th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (Idcra) this week. The World Health Organisation (WHO) provides one of its 198 member countries the opportunity to host the event every second year.
This year’s event, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, is a landmark for the country and the entire continent, said Health Department director-general Malebona Matsoso.
“There are 100 countries and regulatory agencies looking at issues of transparency, regulators and how they make decisions and how they can harmonise internationally. Let’s find a way to make medicine available and affordable to patients because the reality is there is something wrong in how we do business,” said Matsoso.
The week-long conference, with the theme “Patients are Waiting: How Regulators Collectively Make a Difference,” places patient needs at the heart of discussions.
The National Regulatory Authority’s (NRA) Mimi Darko, of Ghana, said the West Africa Ebola outbreak, which had originated in Liberia, had “shaken everyone up”.
“The countries ringed around Liberia came together and we were able to look at the data and could then create capacity and preparedness. This is something that should continue as when one country is not prepared another country can pick up the capacity,” said Darko.
She said the discussions were well received by all the partners and would go a long way towards harmonisation of an African Medicines Agency and regulatory preparedness.
“In a crisis there can’t be privacy of data. We want a common platform to receive and share data, and the WHO is doing that for us.”
Darko said the Ebola crisis started the process of harmonisation and the conference was a platform to address certain issues. She hoped the process would continue.
WHO head of essential medicines Suzanne Hill said because of the experience with the Ebola outbreak they were able to move quicker with the Zika outbreak. “Our role is to set up a framework, but without a conflict of interest, that makes collaboration between regulators and companies possible and effective. Which is why this conference is so important, as it brings regulators together because you do not get vaccines or medicines without regulators,” said Hill.
There is active discussions with government and philanthropic organisations about funding for medicines in Africa, said Hill. Medicines Control Council’s Helen Rees said the Ebola and Zika virus outbreaks showed new emerging pathogens that had never been witnessed before. “When you see an outbreak, the first response is ‘where (are) the vaccines?’ There were; sitting on shelves locked in labs as there was no global interest prior to the crisis. So there was not a lot of money in preparedness until something happened,” said Hill.
Rees said: “The world is saying this can’t happen again so we must start looking at other emerging diseases’ potential to be threatening. On a regulatory side there needs to be preparedness and fast track of emergency access mechanism that forms part of discussions.”Harmonisation worldwide is the eventual goal, said Rees, in working towards efficiency and sharing of ideas to make informed decisions.