By: Kimberly Ramkhalawan
August 5, 2022
In the latest move to ensure the Caribbean is ready to embark on manufacturing medicines across the region to the highest standards, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) “to strengthen procedures that ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines in the region”.
Both Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS and Dr Joy St. John, Executive Director of CARPHA were both present for the official signing which took place on Thursday July 28th, at the OECS Commission headquarters in Castries, Saint Lucia. The MOU formalises a long- standing relationship between the OECS Pooled Procurement Service (PPS) and CARPHA.
The agreement aims strengthen the approval processes of medicines procured through the OECS/PPS, by the CRS and to reaffirm the long-standing relationship with the MQCSD. Currently, CARPHA’s Medicines Quality Control and Surveillance Department (MQCSD) and the Caribbean Regulatory System (CRS) teams are responsible for providing technical support for the procurement, testing, registration, and monitoring of medicines.
It is also envisioned that through this agreement, a level of credibility and confidence is underscored in the work done by CARPHA that medicines procured for use in the Region are of the highest standards and quality. Through the OECS/PPS, it is expected that procurement of medicines approved by the CRS will commence by 2024.
According to Dr Jules, who was speaking at the signing ceremony, “the MOU further strengthens the already excellent working relationship between the two organisations that have a shared commitment to the needs of the region (OECS/Wider Caribbean) especially in healthcare delivery.
He adds that “The formalization of this relationship with an MOU will strengthen the trust of the Member States in the medicines used in our public health systems within Member States of the OECS and CARPHA. I consider the relationship with CARPHA and the OECS to be an exemplar of intra-regional collaboration that has evolved significantly since the pandemic. We have walked every step of this perilous journey together, clasping hands tighter whenever the going went rougher.”
Adding her remarks to the signing of the agreement, Dr St John says this strengthens the relationship between both agencies, by “supporting and improving access to quality assured medicines, and the monitoring of their safety, quality and efficacy in the OECS and other CARPHA Member states in the global community”.
She made certain to mention challenges that may be faced by small markets like those in the Caribbean by stating that “the OECS’ procurement service leads the Region in its approach to pooled procurement to optimise economies of scale to tackle this obstacle. To this end, CARPHA is pleased to strengthen this work at a technical level.”
This is the second agreement CARPHA has signed in recent weeks, as in June it joined up with PAHO to improve regional public health, including health security.
It also received a US$1m grant from Spain for the procuring and distributing personal protective equipment, covid19 test kits, testing reagents, supplies for whole genome sequencing, PCR automatic sample extraction equipment and transporting and shipping laboratory specimens to CARPHA for testing.