The Poisons and Drugs Board announced on Friday, June 21, 2024, that it has entered into a commitment agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This marks a significant step towards enhancing collaboration between the two agencies.
“In a significant move to bolster collaborations, the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) of Kenya and the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) have signed a Statement of Commitment.
Mark Abdoo, the Associate Director for Global Policy and Strategy at the US FDA, and Ahmed Mohamed, PPB’s Director of Health Products and Technologies, formalized the agreement on Thursday.
“This event follows a confidentiality agreement signed between PPB and the US FDA in March 2024, aimed at fostering new opportunities for cooperative engagement in the pharmaceutical sector,” a statement by the Health Ministry on X on Friday, June 21, 2024, said.
The delegation from the FDA was welcomed at the Ministry of Health headquarters by Patrick Amoth, representing Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha.
During the meeting, Amoth underscored the government’s focus on a bottom-up economic transformation agenda, emphasizing the importance of health as a fundamental pillar of achieving universal health coverage.
More Kenya-US ties
Meanwhile, the PPB-FDA agreement coincides with President William Ruto’s announcement of another potential Kenya-US trade initiative.
Ruto highlighted Africa’s efforts to enhance trade and access to the US market, advocating for the extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), set to expire in February.
He also mentioned ongoing negotiations between Kenya and the US for a Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership, which he anticipates will elevate bilateral relations between the two countries.
