Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe and the Arab Republic of Egypt have established a medical standardisation framework under which the two will collaborate in medical consumables licencing.
The agreement, set to be signed today between the Medical Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) and Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), will see all locally-approved medical consumables automatically getting the usage green light in Egypt and vice-versa.
Yesterday, the two medical authorities paid a courtesy call on Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga, with the Egyptian delegation also including Egypt Ambassador to Zimbabwe Salwa Mowafi.
The collaboration framework between the two republics comes at a time when Zimbabwe is revamping its national health systems to global standards and consistent with the dictates of an empowered upper-middle income economy as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.
It also comes on the back of VP Chiwenga having visited Egypt last year whereupon he and his team were impressed by the Egyptian health model.
Speaking after the courtesy call, VP Chiwenga said the agreement will be formalised today.
“We have had a very short and precise meeting with Professor Tamer Essam who is the Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority accompanied by the Ambassador (of Egypt to Zimbabwe),” said VP Chiwenga.
“They are coming here so that after going through various other issues, tomorrow there will be a ceremony to sign a memorandum of understanding between the Republic of Zimbabwe and the Arab Republic of Egypt.
“Basically, we are cooperating in the areas in terms of medicine, drugs and the control of those drugs so that if they are registered in Egypt automatically they are registered in Zimbabwe. If we register something automatically it is acceptable in Egypt.”
After the courtesy call, the visiting delegation toured MCAZ and the respective authorities had further discussions preceding today’s signing ceremony.
Prof Essam said under the framework, the two Republics will have skills transfer for the benefit of their respective health systems.
“What we are going to do is to exchange knowledge and experience (and) capacity building,” said Prof Essam.
“It is the start of delivering high quality medicines from Egypt to Zimbabwe and vice versa, medicines in Egypt and in Zimbabwe will be the same quality.
“This is just the beginning. We have a lot of common interests between Egypt and Zimbabwe.”
Prof Essam said it was just the beginning of an envisaged collaboration in various areas between the two countries.
Zimbabwe is on a drive to improve its services sector and social safety nets and collaboration with countries like Egypt will boost the country’s quest to achieve best international practices as envisioned by President Mnangagwa.
Egypt’s progress is anchored on a highly plural system with public and private providers financed and managed through the state, parastatals, and the private sector.
At its base, the model guarantees quality healthcare to the entire citizenry and those in need of even better quality can go on to choose the parastatals route up to the private sector route albeit for a cost which is excluded at the base.