Online Reporter
Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
HEALTH and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has announced an eight-member board of the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), led by prominent general practitioner Dr Clifford Chiura, with a mandate to elevate the nation’s pharmaceutical regulatory standards.
The newly inaugurated board will increase to its 12-member statutory complement once the minister appoints an additional four members.
Speaking at the official inauguration ceremony in Harare, Dr Mombeshora issued a stern warning to the new leadership that the Government would not tolerate a passive approach to national health security.
“You are not a ceremonial body,” the minister declared. “You are the statutory governance structure responsible for oversight, policy direction, and accountability of this critical regulatory agency.”
A primary directive handed to the Chiura-led board is to transition the MCAZ from World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Level 3 to Maturity Level 4 status—a tier reserved for elite, globally recognised reference regulators.
While Zimbabwe’s current Level 3 status acknowledges its regulatory framework as stable and functional, the government expects the new leadership to drive regional excellence.
Under the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act, the board is legally required to maintain the National Medicines Register, license and inspect manufacturers and retail pharmacies, approve clinical trials, and systematically monitor the overall safety, quality, and efficacy of all public and private medicines.
“Your immediate priorities are: stop the circulation of unregistered medicines through intensified surveillance; address the uncontrolled proliferation of pharmacies and the diversion of public medicines into the private sector; enforce prescription regulations to combat antimicrobial resistance; counter falsified medicines with robust post-market surveillance; and create a practical pathway for the regulation of traditional medicines,” he added.
To give the new board more teeth, the Minister announced that the Government is currently reviewing the foundational Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act.
The upcoming legislative amendments will expand MCAZ’s jurisdiction to cover medical devices, significantly increase criminal penalties for dealing in falsified or counterfeit medicines, and strengthen national pharmacovigilance tracking systems.
