MoHP and WHO hold strategic dialogue to strengthen medicine quality and safety

Kathmandu, Bagmati province – The Department of Drug Administration, Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), and WHO Country Office for Nepal, convened a two-day strategic dialogue workshop to strengthen Nepal’s drug regulatory system and enhance quality assurance capacity through the development of practical, time-bound improvement roadmaps. The workshop, held from 17-18 February, brought together over 80 participants, including the Honourable Minister of Health and Population, senior government officials, WHO experts, representatives from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, Thai FDA, Indian Pharmacopoeial Commission, TechInvention Lifecare Pvt Ltd and pharmaceutical stakeholders. Discussions reviewed the current status of drug regulation and national quality control laboratory capacity, identified critical gaps, and drew on global and regional best practices. The meeting also included discussions on the preliminary detail project report on establishing a new national quality control laboratory with an expanded scope of services. Deliberations fostered a shared understanding of priorities and opportunities for system strengthening to ensure access to safe, effective and quality-assured medicines. Participants also explored collaboration modalities and technical support mechanisms to operationalize the roadmap, with WHO committed to facilitating its implementation.