6th AU Smart Safety Surveillance Steering Committee Meeting Held in Addis Ababa
The 6th Steering Committee Meeting of the African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU-3S) Programme kicked off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing together key stakeholders from across Africa to enhance pharmacovigilance and medical product safety on the continent.
Dr. Mekedes Daba (Ministry of Health) highlighted Ethiopia’s pivotal role in advancing pharmacovigilance, serving as one of the two entry points for the COVAX facility in Africa. Through digital innovation, Ethiopia has strengthened real-time adverse event reporting and response mechanismsโcontributing to a safer healthcare system.
Heran Gerba, Director-General of the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA), emphasized Ethiopia’s remarkable progress since joining AU-3S, particularly in submitting extensive safety reports during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. She reaffirmed Ethiopiaโs commitment to strengthening AU member states’ safety surveillance capabilities and supporting new countries in adopting the 3S strategyโreliance, data & work-sharing, and prioritization.
This high-level meeting, hosted by EFDA, brought together CEOs of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities from 13 African nations, along with technical partners, including the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority and the World Health Organization (WHO).
