The Liberia Medicines & Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) and stakeholders across Africa are in Liberia for a conference on Pharmacovigilance and Clinical Trials. Pharmacovigilance is the science and activities that focus on detecting, assessing, understanding, and preventing adverse effects or other problems related to medicines and vaccines. Its main goal is to protect public health by monitoring the safety of drugs throughout their use, ensuring their benefit-risk balance remains positive, and updating product information to promote safe and effective use.
The two-day conference is a platform for health officials and partners to discuss the regulation of medical products in Liberia, with a focus on public health and safety. The conference, which kicked off Monday, September 1, 2025, will end today, Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at the EJS Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, under the theme: “Medicine Safety Monitoring and Clinical Trial Oversight in Emerging Regulatory System.”
LMHRA Managing Director, Luke L. Bawo said that the conference aims to foster innovation, collaboration, and a shared commitment to improving patient safety and advancing clinical research, inspiring new ideas and collaborations through insightful presentations and active engagement from participants. According to him, the event is significant as it brings together professionals from diverse fields, including clinical research, healthcare providers, regulatory bodies, lawmakers, and industrial leaders.
Bawo emphasized the importance of ensuring that medical products are not only effective but also safe.
Giving the overview of the conference, Dr. Juwe D. Kercula, Manager CT/PV and Chairman of the Conference Organizing Committee, stated that medications and other products that are produced to be used in health, science, and medicine, as well as agriculture and the environment, have to be monitored, saying they have public health implications.
Dr. Kercula said that during the conference, participants will deliberate on how medical products are used in Liberia, how they are monitored and the clinical trials that they go through.
Speaking on behalf of Liberia’s Health Minister, Dr. Malayah Tamba Chieyo, Deputy Health Minister for Technical Services, narrated that the gathering of thought leaders, researchers, regulatory professionals and industry stakeholders, presents a unique opportunity to deliberate all clinical achievements, innovations and challenges within the professional field. He added that pharmacovigilance is not merely a regulatory requirement, but a fundamental pillow of shared commitment to patient safety and to the integrity of clinical research and medical practice.
Also, Jenny Marekera, Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe expressed gratitude for the invitation to the stakeholders’ conference on pharmacovigilance and clinical trials, highlighting the importance of ensuring safe, effective, and good quality medical products.
Dr. Hasifa Tapi, President of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, commended the conference for fostering learning and progress, emphasizing the college’s commitment to medicine safety, patient safety, and continuous training. Both speakers underscored the significance of the gathering and the contributions of various stakeholders.
In his goodwill message, Robert Rutaisi, Rwanda FDA Managing Director addressed the conference on medicine safety monitoring and clinical trial oversight in emerging regulatory systems, emphasizing the importance of shared experiences and partnerships among regulators, researchers, and scientists. He highlighted Rwanda’s commitment to advancing pharmacovigilance and clinical trials oversight in line with international standards while remaining regionally responsive
