MCAZ vows to safeguard quality of medicines

Tanaka Mahanya

Medical Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has vowed to continue ensuring quality, safe medicines and medical devices.

In a statement to mark its 25th anniversary, MCAZ acting director-general, Richard Rukwata, said their mandate was to protect public health by ensuring that medicines, and medical devices on the market, are safe, effective and of good quality.

“The vision, as the authority celebrates its anniversary, is to be an effective and efficient regulator for medical products and allied substances in Zimbabwe and a comparative regulator globally. The authority looks forward to contributing to the attainment of the national Vision 2030 through the National Development Strategy 1 which directs policies, institutional reforms and national priorities that the Government will be focusing on from 2021-2025,” reads the statement.

He said MCAZ has collaborated with various partners in implementing different projects and programmes.

“These projects have recorded success, some projects were completed, and some are still ongoing, for example, the ZaZiBoNa collaboration under the SADC Medicines Registration Harmonisation (SADC MRH).

“Ministry of Health and Child Care in its Strategic Plan (2021-2023), emphasises the need for improved access to essential medicines and commodities, the harmonisation of quantification and distribution. This will be facilitated through the introduction of electronic Logistic Management Information System (e-LMIS), which will include critical private sector functions, and the promotion of local manufacturing of medicines and medical products,” he said.