NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya will host more than 300 international delegates for a major scientific conference focused on strengthening Africa’s medical product regulation and manufacturing capabilities, organisers announced.
The Scientific Conference on Medical Products Regulation in Africa (SCoMRA VII) will take place November 11-13, 2025, in Mombasa under the theme “Regulatory Harmonisation: Unlocking Africa’s Potential in Health Product Manufacturing and Trade.”
The conference is jointly organised by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the African Medicines Agency, along with other partners. It represents the continent’s primary forum for collaboration on regulatory systems strengthening and innovation.
Focus on Self-Reliance
The gathering comes as African nations accelerate efforts to reduce dependence on imported medical products and build domestic manufacturing capacity. The conference aims to advance Africa’s goal of becoming self-reliant in health product manufacturing and regulation.
“Regulatory harmonisation is no longer a technical debate as it is now a developmental imperative,” said Chimwemwe Chamdimba, Head of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation Programme at AUDA-NEPAD. “With the right frameworks, Africa can build trust in its regulatory systems, stimulate local manufacturing, and ensure that no African country is left behind.”
Diverse Participation Expected
The three-day event will bring together policymakers from ministries of health, finance, trade, research and innovation, as well as representatives from National Medicines Regulatory Authorities, African Union agencies, Regional Economic Communities, UN agencies, academia, clinical trial sponsors, product manufacturers, civil society organisations and development partners.
Participants will address nine key thematic areas including building regulatory capacity for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulatory alignment to facilitate pooled procurement under the African Continental Free Trade Area, public health emergency preparedness, clinical research enablement, pharmaceutical workforce development, artificial intelligence and digital technologies in regulatory systems, public-private partnerships, environmental sustainability, and combating substandard and falsified medical products.
Strategic Timing
The conference is scheduled at a critical juncture for Africa’s health sector development. Continental leaders have prioritised building resilient health systems following lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed heavy reliance on imported medical products.
The event will provide a platform for stakeholders to assess progress in strengthening Africa’s regulatory landscape, share evidence-based best practices in regulatory science, and establish new priorities for the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation Initiative while supporting implementation of the African Medicines Agency.
SCoMRA has established itself as the continent’s foremost platform for dialogue on regulatory systems strengthening since its inception, bringing together diverse stakeholders to address common challenges facing Africa’s medical product regulation sector.
