Solomon Islands is strengthening its system for regulating medicines, vaccines and medical devices to ensure health products reaching communities are safe, effective and of good quality.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), is reviewing the country’s system for regulating health products.
A three-day national workshop in Honiara used WHO’s Global Benchmarking Tool to assess the system’s strengths and identify areas that need improvement.
The assessment comes as Solomon Islands prepares to update its laws and regulations covering medicines and other health products.
Acting Permanent Secretary of Health and Medical Services Dr Gregory Jilini said stronger regulation is becoming increasingly important as the health system develops and new medical technologies emerge.
“Robust regulatory oversight becomes even more important in ensuring that our people have access to safe, quality-assured, and effective medical products,” Jilini said.
WHO Representative in Solomon Islands Dr Howard Sobel said a strong national regulator is essential for protecting public health.
He said it helps countries identify, control and remove poor-quality or fake medicines, vaccines and medical supplies from the market.
“This regulatory oversight is essential to ensuring that the health products available to our communities are safe, effective and of assured quality,” Sobel said.
Solomon Islands relies heavily on imported medicines and other medical products.
The country’s regulatory system operates within MHMS, where a small number of staff manage several responsibilities.
These include regulating health products, selecting medicines, procurement and managing supplies.
The assessment will therefore take into account Solomon Islands’ size, needs and limited resources.
It will examine key areas, including the approval of medicines, licensing of suppliers and facilities, inspections and monitoring of products already on the market.
It will also look at how the country detects and responds to problems with medicines and other health products.
MHMS and WHO will use the findings to identify what is working well and where improvements are needed.
The aim is to strengthen regulation in ways that are practical and suited to Solomon Islands, rather than creating systems that are too complex or costly to manage.
The work supports the Government for Reform, Empowerment, Accountability and Transformation (GREAT) Policy.
It aligns with the Government’s commitment to strengthen accountability in procurement and supply chains and improve the reliable availability of medicines and other health supplies.
The assessment is also expected to guide future efforts to establish clearer national arrangements for regulating medicines and other health products.
This includes defining responsibilities, functions and oversight arrangements.
MHMS and WHO expect the assessment to produce a clear picture of the current system, its strengths and weaknesses, and recommended improvements.
It will also identify priority actions that can form the basis of a plan to strengthen the country’s regulatory system.
WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific Medical Officer Dr Jinho Shin said the assessment provides a foundation for improving access to safe and effective medicines.
“Through self-benchmarking of the national medicines regulatory system, Solomon Islands came forward with a robust plan to invest in a healthier future,” Dr Shin said.
He said WHO remains committed to supporting Solomon Islands in ensuring communities have access to safe, effective and quality-assured medical products.
