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Dr. Jayesh M. Pandit is the Pharmacovigilance Country Head (PVCH) and the Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance (QPPV) Coordination Lead for Bayer Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Health in East Africa, based in Kenya and coordinates pharmacovigilance activities across North-West Africa (NWA) and East Africa country clusters. Before joining Bayer, Jayesh was the Head of the Medicines Information and Pharmacovigilance Division at the Pharmacy and Poisons Board- Kenya’s National Medicines Regulatory Authority, where he served for 10 years. Jayesh initiated and developed the National Pharmacovigilance System to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines used in Kenya.
Jayesh has also served as the Secretary to the Expert Committee on Clinical Trials, has been a member of the Africa Vaccines Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), a member of various public health program- technical working groups (TWGs) as well as WHO’s team of consultants on Pharmacovigilance in Africa (Pharmacovigilante-Sans-Frontier).
With the vast experience that Jayesh has, he currently is an active member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK), International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) and its Africa chapter and ISoP’s Special Interest Group on Eco Pharmacovigilance (EcoPV), among other professional groups. At the Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (KAPI), Jayesh, until recently, also Chaired the Pharmacovigilance and Medical Affairs Committee.
Dr. Ahmed Hegazy is a Physician by education and holds a Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Medicine
(First Class Honor), Mini MBA, Medical Quality Management Diploma and Hospital Management Diploma.
Dr. Ahmed received various awards and recognitions in innovation (Upjohn Award), achievements and others.
He owns more than 25 years of wealthy experience in Pharmaceutical Industry in different regions and
functions (sales, training, medical, marketing and PV).
Currently he is a:
Comfort Ogar is a global safety consultant with the WHO on the novel oral polio type 2 vaccine (nOPV2). Prior to her work with the WHO, she was a Principal Technical Advisor and pharmacovigilance lead for the USAID funded Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) program led by Management Sciences for Health, where she supported low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia to establish or strengthen their regulatory systems with particular focus on pharmacovigilance systems. She worked as a regulator for about 18 years at Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), where she was instrumental to establishing the country’s national pharmacovigilance system.
She has a master’s in public health (MPH) from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s in medical sciences (MMSc) in Global Health Delivery from the Harvard Medical School and is a PhD candidate at the University of Utrecht. Comfort is the current secretary of the Africa chapter of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP). She is married with two children. She loves traveling and mountain biking.
Ms. Willemijn van der Spuij is Executive Director Europe in the Worldwide Patient Safety Organization in Bristol Myers Squibb. She is responsible for Patient Safety in the EU markets, Balkans and Baltics.
Prior to this role she was responsible for EU markets, PV Intelligence & International Operations including the PSMF as well as Training and Outsourcing activities.
Willemijn holds a Nursing Degree from the Netherlands, a BA (Hons) in Sociology from Goldsmiths college, University of London, UK and an MSc in Pharmacovigilance from the University of Hertfordshire, UK.
She is a member of the EFPIA Pharmacovigilance Expert Working Group and Chair of the EFPIA International Pharmacovigilance Group. Willemijn is also involved in external PSMF activities and Clinical Trial (PV) activities. She started her career in industry in Quintiles in Clinical Research and moved to Pharmacovigilance in Bristol Myers Squibb in 2003.
Judy has been in the pharmaceutical industry for over twenty years, initially specializing in research and development, progressing into investment; thereafter Regulatory Affairs, Government Affairs and Value, Access and Policy. Her career began with joining Mintek in 2003 after obtaining her PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Johannesburg (RAU). Judy started her research career in a secondment to University of Witwatersrand. During this time Judy went on a research visit to Heidelberg, Germany. Shortly after her return to South Africa she began heading up the Mintek AuTEK Biomedical Programme, along with taking on an honorary position at the University of Witwatersrand. At the end of 2012 Judy joined the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), an entity of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), in Pretoria as the General Manager: Health. She was responsible for the oversight and leadership of the TIA Health sector team; the development and implementation of the Health sector strategy, the management and growth of the Health investment portfolio and the management of various stakeholder relationships throughout South Africa. Following TIA Judy moved to the Innovative Pharmaceutical Association South Africa (IPASA) in 2015. Here Judy was responsible for monitoring trends, issues, problems, opportunities and activities in the healthcare environment, with a specific focus on Scientific, Regulatory and Government Affairs. In 2018 Judy left IPASA to pursue private consulting. During this time Judy was head hunted into the role of Executive Director for the Southern Gauteng Branch of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA SG). During her time at PSSA SG Judy was responsible for oversight of matters related to the Pharmacy Profession within the Branch, managing a conferencing facility associated with PSSA SG, and oversight of two investment companies. At the end of 2019 Judy moved to Amgen South Africa as the Senior Manager for Regulatory and Government Affairs. Early 2020 Judy’s role was expanded to include Value and Access (as a stretch assignment). In July 2022 Value and Access was moved to a dedicated lead. In her role at Amgen Judy was responsible for the registration and life cycle management of the Amgen South Africa product pipeline and portfolio, all matters related to Policy and Government Affairs, as well as Stakeholder management and the strategic direction of these core functions. During this tenure Judy participated in various local and regional industry fora, and in many cases held the seat of Chair / Vice-Chair. Over Judy’s career she has engaged across multiple sectors including academia, government and the private sector. In July 2023 Judy transitioned to Aspen Pharmacare.
Victoria is a Pharmacovigilance Officer with over 9-years-experience in pharmacovigilance within the regulatory space. Victoria completed Bachelor of Pharmacy degree over 18-years ago were she worked in both private and public hospital setting. She moved to managed healthcare setting for 3 years and later joined the Medicine Control Council, now SAHPRA for her journey in pharmacovigilance. In 2022, she completed Masters in Epidemiology degree with interest on data collection. Victoria had an opportunity to participate in pharmacovigilance activities within the African region through the AUDA – NEPAD Smart Safety Surveillance programme and has also participated in the international platforms through the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA).
She is a Pharmacovigilance consultant, Lecturer in Academia, WHO-ACSoMP committee member. President of Egypt Chapter of ISoP, Member in ISoP Scientific Board, Lead Senior PV auditor.
She has 24 years’ experience in Pharmaceutical sector, including 14 years extensively in pharmacovigilance domain. She is Co-founder and former head of the Egyptian Pharmacovigilance Center. She acted for integrating PV teaching in Academia in Egypt and supervised several PV research projects.
Her most notable PV contributions on the international level include; being a WHO consultant in Regulatory System Strengthening, she supported Regulatory Authorities in different countries to establish/enhance their PV system according to the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool. Acting as independent pharmacovigilance consultant and lead auditor to evaluate PV system compliance at pharmaceutical industry according to the applicable regulations in different countries.
Aya is a professional in the field of pharmacovigilance, with an academic background in pharmacy. After earning a Pharmacy degree from Al Azhar University in 2017, she pursued further specialization by completing a Clinical Pharmacy diploma from Ain Shams University in 2018. Her career began with hands-on experience in community pharmacy, before transitioning into the pharmacovigilance field in 2019 as a Pharmacovigilance Specialist at the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).
In 2022, Aya was appointed as the Manager of the Pharmacovigilance Inspection Unit, leading a team responsible for ensuring compliance with pharmacovigilance regulations in pharmaceutical companies. Their responsibilities include overseeing inspections, managing reports, conducting CAPA assessments, and fostering improvements in pharmacovigilance systems. Additionally, Aya has spearheaded efforts to enhance industry standards through targeted training programs, significantly contributing to the advancement of pharmacovigilance practices within the pharmaceutical sector.
Dr. Asmaa Salah, Manager of postmarketing administration and follow up- PVGA at Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), is distinguished leader of postmarketing pharmacovigilance activities with more than 10 years’ experience in national regulatory authority (EDA). Her work focuses continuous follow up of EDA authorized products postmarketing and ensuring positive risk benefit balance of these products through continuous evaluation of Real-World Evidences (RWE) generated postmarketing.
Postmarketing pharmacovigilance related activities include adverse event reporting and related assessment, safety signal management, periodic benefit risk evaluation reports assessment, routine risk management plans evaluation and emerging safety issues activities. Dr. Asmaa is co-founder of active surveillance function in the national pharmacovigilance center. A passionate advocate for medicinal products regulation, Dr. Asmaa regularly speaks at international conferences, sharing her insights on medicinal products’ safety.
Ms. Frieda Shigwedha is a Medicines Information and Safety Pharmacist at the Therapeutics Information and Pharmacovigilance Center of the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council under the Ministry of Health and Social Services. With extensive experience in regulatory affairs, clinical assessment, and pharmacovigilance, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the pharmacy landscape in Namibia. Frieda has been actively involved with the Pharmaceutical Society of Namibia (PSN) since 2018, serving as its President and previously as Vice-President. She is also a member of the Pharmacy Council of Namibia, contributing to the Education Committee. Additionally, she has held roles as a Consultant and Assistant Lecturer. Frieda holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) from the University of Namibia, a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Information Systems Management from NUST, and a Certificate in Dossier Assessment from the University of the Witwatersrand. She is currently enrolled in a Rational Medicine Use Course through the University of the Western Cape and plans to pursue a Master’s in Pharmacy Administration and Regulatory Affairs. Driven by a commitment to enhancing healthcare provision in Namibia, she aims to bring valuable knowledge and skills to her current and future roles while ensuring compliance with regulations.
Pamela Ajwang works with National Drug Authority (NDA), a drug regulatory body in Uganda. She joined NDA in 2018 as a Regulatory Officer in the Department of Product assessment and Registration. Prior to that, she headed a private hospital pharmacy for 7 years after completion of her Bachelors of Pharmacy Degree.
Pamela attained a Master’s of Science in Biotechnology and regulatory science from Purdue University West Lafayette, USA. Currently, her major focus is evaluation of applications for marketing authorization and post-approval changes for both human and veterinary medicines. She works closely with colleagues from GMP inspections unit, Pharmacovigilance and clinical trials to ensure quality safety and efficacy of drugs. She has also attended East African Community Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (EAC-MRH) meetings to evaluate dossiers for registration.
Dr. Nambwa Pamela is a Senior Principal Regulatory Officer at the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, in Kenya. She holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (UoN) and is a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (MPSK). With over 8 years of experience in Pharmacovigilance, Dr. Nambwa has been instrumental in strengthening Pharmacovigilance systems in the East African Community (EAC) and the Intergovernmental Agency on Development (IGAD) in harmonizing the Pharmacovigilance systems within the region. She has also been a member of the African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU-3S) Continental Safety Platform Working Group (CWG) and developed the terms of reference for the Vigilance technical committee to support AMA once its operation begins.
Dr. Dindji Audrey Cythus Sandrine is the Head of the Vigilance and Clinical Trials Department at AIRP. With a wealth of experience in pharmacovigilance and clinical trial management, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of medical interventions. Her expertise in regulatory affairs has positioned her as a leader in advancing healthcare standards.
Dr. Dindji is dedicated to promoting ethical practices in clinical research, fostering collaboration across healthcare sectors. Her leadership continues to drive innovation in patient safety and drug development.
Dr Priscilla Nyambayo is a distinguished leader, astute and forward-thinking Clinical Pharmacologist with 26 years of experience and a history of achievements in the regulation of clinical trials, pharmacovigilance, and post-marketing surveillance. She is Head Pharmacovigilance and Clinical Trials Division, Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe. As a result, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) obtained, WHO Global Bench Marking Maturity level 3 on 27 August 2021 for Clinical Trials Regulation Oversight (CTO) and WHO Maturity level 3 for Vigilance (VL) on 18 May 2023 and overall ML3 for all regulatory functions in May 2024. She successfully qualified as Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the University of Cape Town. The PhD in Public Health is titled “The use of m-Health to improve post-marketing surveillance of vaccines in Zimbabwe A case study of Zimbabwe Stimulated Telephone Assisted Rapid Safety Surveillance (Zm-STARSS) randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessing Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFIs)- Pharmacovigilance initiatives for COVID-19 vaccines in Zimbabwe. Dr Nyambayo a passionate advocate for patient safety regularly speaks at international conferences sharing her insights in vigilance, and clinical trials research regulations to promote accelerated research and access of safe, quality and effective medical products.
Dr. Dilal Rharmili is a Doctor of Pharmacy. She has been in charge of the vigilance unit since 2018 within the Directorate of Medicines and Pharmacy (DMP).
The DMP is one of the 8 directorates of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in Morocco, which ensures, among other things, the evaluation of registration files and the quality control of medicines and health products, the setting of the framework for the prices of medicines, the monitoring and inspection of establishments operating in this sector, the evaluation of registration and quality control dossiers for medical devices, in-vitro diagnostic reagents, cosmetics and personal hygiene products, childcare articles and food supplements and the coordination of the national pharmacovigilance system.
With more than 25 years of experience in the DMP, Dr. Dilal Rharmili previously held the position of Head of the National Observatory for the Supply of Medicines and Health Products and that of Head of the Medical Devices Unit.
Dr. Bassem Toeama, esteemed Chief Executive Officer and Founder at MD Pharma Consulting Group, is an influential key player in the fields of Pharmacovigilance, Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Medical Oncology, Public health and Epidemiology, and a visionary leader in the biopharmaceutical and medical device industry. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare, he has been instrumental in innovating advanced healthcare solutions, integrating technology, bridging the gap between academia and industry, and improving patient care outcomes. Dr. Toeama holds a Ph.D. in Health Economics from University of Toronto and has authored numerous publications in Q1 and Q2 medical journals. His work focuses on integrating technology with clinical practice to enhance patient safety. A passionate advocate for vaccine manufacturing in Africa, Dr. Toeama liaises with diverse stakeholders, shares his insights on the future of vaccine manufacturing in Africa, and applies artificial intelligence in the prediction of drug-drug interactions for revolutionizing safety signal management.
Alemayehu is a pharmacist by training and specialized in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance, with over 14 years of experience across African countries. His expertise spans several high-impact projects under the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) and USAID-funded initiatives, such as Pharmacovigilance Africa (PAVIA), Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS), and the Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program led by Management Sciences for Health (MSH).
Currently, he serves as a Senior Technical Officer for Pharmacovigilance with Africa CDC, focusing on enhancing the safety surveillance systems of various African Union member states. He coordinates pharmacovigilance activities, ensures vaccine safety, and provides technical assistance to strengthen pharmacovigilance systems continent-wide.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, a master’s in clinical research, and a PhD in pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology from the University of Bordeaux, France.
Dr. Mona Al Moussli is a trailblazer in the field of pharmaceutical and medical device regulatory affairs in the Middle East. With over twenty years of experience, she has firmly established herself as a seasoned professional renowned for her unparalleled expertise in navigating the intricacies of healthcare regulations.
Throughout her career, Dr. Al Moussli has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to upholding the highest standards of ethics and compliance within the industry. In 2013, she co-founded PRA Consultancy, a firm that has since become synonymous with regulatory excellence in the region.
Her impact transcends traditional boardroom boundaries as she actively works to shape the future of healthcare regulation through education and advocacy. Notably, Dr. Al Moussli played a pivotal role in the inception of the GCC Regulatory Affairs (RA) Course, a pioneering certification program designed to nurture the next generation of industry experts.
Fueled by her passion for advancing health and safety standards, Dr. Al Moussli has spearheaded numerous initiatives, including the renowned GCC Regulatory Affairs Pharma Summit and other significant gatherings focused on pharmaceutical-related regulations in the region.
Dr. Al Moussli’s commitment to advancing regulatory standards transcends borders, as evidenced by her initiation of the AFRI Summit. This crucial platform facilitates discussions on pharmaceutical and medical device regulations in Africa, fostering knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders to improve healthcare outcomes across the continent.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Al Moussli remains actively involved in community engagement, serving as an advisory board member at Dubai Pharmacy College and lending her expertise to the Women’s Business Council at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Dr. Mona Al Moussli was elected as a board member of the Emirates Medical Association – Pharmacy chapter for consecutive terms in 2021 and 2022.
Leading a dynamic team dedicated to pioneering innovative software solutions that drive success for our clients. With a deep passion for technology and a commitment to community service, I strive to blend cutting-edge advancements with meaningful impact.
My journey in the tech industry is fuelled by a desire to harness the power of software to solve real-world problems and contribute to societal betterment through active volunteer work
Dr. Yomna is a Global Safety Manager responsible for Egypt and Levant clusters at Amgen based in Egypt with a 7 years’ experience in the pharmacovigilance sector.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from the faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology from the German University in Cairo. She also hold a MSC degree of Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology from the University of Bordeaux EU2P program with an overall grade of Excellence and specialization track and research in Medicines risk communications. Her research was the first of its type to discuss the acceptance of digitalization of additional risk minimization activities by different stakeholders across seven countries.
She is one the founding members of the ISOP Egypt chapter and have taken an active role in setting up several projects including conducting PV awareness sessions in hospitals and digital campaigns to raise awareness on occupational exposure for the patient safety day. She has also co- authored a “pharmacovigilance and medication safety” chapter within a textbook through ISOP Egypt chapter that is now published on global platforms.
She is an active contributor to the education of the younger generation on drug safety and have conducted numerous sessions in several universities and through various institutions within the Middle East region.
Barbara Youssef is a pharmacist, dedicated and experienced PV & QA Manager at One Pharma Medics, where she has been leading the department with a strong focus on patient safety for the past Four years.
As a certified Lead Auditor by IRCA, Barbara prioritizes compliance above all processes. Her expertise has been instrumental in contributing to the establishment of pharmacovigilance systems for over Four Marketing Authorization Holders (MAHs) in Egypt.
Mohy El-Din Ismail, an Egyptian pharmacist founded Insight in 2018 with the mission of revolutionizing patient safety in Egypt.
Through his dedication and innovative approach, Mohy introduced advanced pharmacovigilance and safety solutions to the Egyptian market, positioning Insight as the industry leader in this critical field.
Before founding Insight, Mohy worked at the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) as a Regulatory Compliance Officer, where he oversaw the registration and licensing of pharmaceutical products and served as a member of the Medical Scientific Committee. His experience also includes operations management at the Minister’s Office of Health and Population in Egypt.
In addition to leading Insight, Mohy has served as a compliance and pharmacovigilance consultant for various national and international companies. He also led the Vigipx Safety Database, a cutting-edge software for processing ICSRs and performing quantitative analysis of safety data in line with the world’s highest safety and technical standards. Today, Vigipx is recognized as Egypt’s number one safety database.
Mohy’s career reflects a commitment to innovation and dedication to enhancing patient safety systems. His profound impact on the industry continues to shape the future of drug safety in the region.
Christina Saad is esteemed pharmacovigilance expert. With over 14 years of experience in healthcare, she has worked extensively at the regulatory authority (EPVC) and in multinational companies. She holds BSc. in Pharmacy, Ain Shams University.
Her roles have included PV committee Rapporteur, Deputy Head of the national PV center (EDA) & PV cluster deputy head at Bayer. In addition, she is an active ISOP “International Society of Pharmacovigilance” member.
She has actively contributed to the training and supervision of teams within the regulatory authority and marketing authorization holders (MAHs). She has also represented the authority at numerous national and international events, sharing valuable insights and expertise in pharmacovigilance.
Dr. Rania Aly, Patient Safety Lead at Roche Egypt, is a dedicated advocate for patient safety with over 16 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and over a decade of expertise in pharmacovigilance. Since joining Roche five years ago, she has played a key role in advancing patient safety initiatives across Egypt.
She also held the role of Risk Management Product Lead as part of Roche’s Affiliate Global Interface team for a year and a half.
Dr. Rania holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science from Alexandria University, Egypt, and is an active member of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), Egypt Chapter.
Her commitment to patient safety drives her to foster best practices and share her knowledge with the community.
In her role as Product Manager, Andrea is responsible for the Quality and Safety Management Hubs at EXTEDO and works closely together with the entire Product Management Team. Before taking over the PM role she started as a Senior Business Consultant at EXTEDO in January 2016 and worked on customer projects. She is not only following the latest developments in pharmacovigilance and quality but also IDMP.
Before joining EXTEDO, she worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 11 years, focusing on pharmacovigilance topics. First, she was a scientist, and later, she took over the team leader position for global drug safety, and in 2011, she became QPPV. In her role, she was responsible for establishing and maintaining the global pharmacovigilance system within the company. Being QPPV, Andrea was also involved in audits and inspections as well as XEVMPD topics. Additionally, she gave pharmacovigilance training and held presentations at national and international conferences.
Dr. Heba Ibrahim is the regional support and consultant for Africa and Middle East at MedDRA Maintenance and Services Organization (MedDRA MSSO).
She has over 14 years of experience as a regulator in the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) where she played various roles including 6 years in the Egyptian Pharmaceutical Vigilance Center (EPVC). She founded EPVC’s Signal Management Unit in 2020 and headed it until June 2023. She also volunteered and contributed to a number of international pharmacovigilance activities and initiatives.
She acted as a member of the National Working Group for the WHO global benchmarking tool (GBT) – Vigilance function for 2021/2022 where EDA was benchmarked with ML3 and designated as a WHO-Listed Authority for vaccine regulation in March 2022. She also updated the Signal Management Module of the Egyptian-GVP guidelines issued in June 2023.
She holds MSc. and Ph.D. degrees with research topics focused on data mining and Machine learning in pharmacovigilance signal detection, and her research studies have been published in prestigious ScienceDirect journals. She is also a peer reviewer of several scientific journals.
Dr. Nesrine is a highly accomplished professional in the field of pharmacy, serving as the PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) in Charge of Vigilance at the Department of Technical Monitoring, Inspections, and Vigilance within the prestigious National Agency for Pharmaceutical Products of Algeria (ANPP).
With a solid educational background and extensive experience, Dr. Nesrine has become a trusted figure in the pharmaceutical industry. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, which reflects her deep understanding of the field and her dedication to improving the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products.
In her role at the ANPP, Dr. Nesrine is responsible for ensuring the safety and efficacy of pharmaceutical products within Algeria. She oversees the vigilant monitoring of technical processes, conducts thorough inspections, and enforces strict quality standards to guarantee the well-being of the Algerian population. Her work is instrumental in upholding the highest pharmaceutical standards and protecting the health of the nation.
Dr. Nesrine is known for her unwavering commitment to her profession and her strong sense of responsibility. Her dedication to her work is driven by a genuine desire to make a positive impact on healthcare in Algeria. Her expertise, attention to detail, and her leadership within the ANPP have earned her a reputation as a top professional in the field, inspiring trust and respect from colleagues and peers alike.
Outside of her professional life, Dr. Nesrine enjoys staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the pharmaceutical industry and is a passionate advocate for public health and safety. Her career continues to be marked by her relentless pursuit of excellence and her unwavering dedication to ensuring that the people of Algeria have access to the highest quality pharmaceutical products. Dr. Nesrine’s work serves as a testament to her commitment to the betterment of healthcare in Algeria and her enduring impact on the pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Mukesh Dheda is the Director of the Pharmacovigilance Centre for Public Health Programmes based at the National Department of Health, South Africa. He obtained a B Pharm from the University of Durban Westville, an M Pharm from the University of Potchefstroom and a PhD from the University of KwaZulu Natal.
He has been instrumental in understanding pharmacovigilance (PV) in South Africa. He is involved in a number of policy, research and training initiatives which have grappled with the challenge of improving PV in South Africa. He has worked in the area of PV, both regulatory and public health PV, since the early 2000s. In his ongoing tenure as a registered pharmacist for almost forty years, Dr. Dheda has trained many pharmacists and interns, some directly under his supervision.
Libert Chirinda is a Chief Regulatory Officer in the Pharmacovigilance and Clinical Trials (PVCT) Division at the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), where he is involved in managing vigilance activities as well as clinical trials oversight activities.
He has ten (10) years’ experience in pharmacovigilance activities, clinical trial oversight, and medicines regulatory affairs, and has been part of the PVCT Division, which is also the National Pharmacovigilance Centre for Zimbabwe, since 2013. He has been involved in several pharmacovigilance initiatives locally, regionally, and internationally, and seeks to improve pharmacovigilance systems in Zimbabwe and beyond.
He is also a member of the Medical Research Council of Zimbabwe (MRCZ) National Health Research and Development Committee (NHRDC), which is involved in reviewing protocols submitted to the MRCZ for ethics approval.
He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), as well as a Master of Health Sciences Degree in Pharmacovigilance from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Frieda works as a Medicines Information and Safety Pharmacist at the Therapeutic Information and Pharmacovigilance Center (TIPC) of the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council (NMRC) since 2020. Prior to her role at NMRC, Frieda gained valuable experience at FabuPharm (Pty) Ltd in Namibia, where she held positions as a Regulatory Affairs Pharmacist and Production Manager. In her spare time, she works as a locum pharmacist in retail.
Apart from her primary roles, Frieda holds multiple leadership positions, currently serving as a member of the Pharmacy Council of Namibia. Within the council, she serves on both the Education and Preliminary Investigations Committees. Furthermore, she has recently been re-elected as the President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Namibia (PSN).
Frieda’s academic journey includes obtaining a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) from the University of Namibia in 2016, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Information Systems Management from the Namibian University of Science and Technology. Her commitment to continuous learning is evident as she is presently engaged in specialized training, focusing on Dossier Assessment for Clinical Assessors in African regulatory agencies. Frieda’s efforts are driven by her passion for the pharmacy profession, and her diverse experience equips her to make substantial contributions across various healthcare roles, ultimately aiming to enhance healthcare systems in Namibia.
PhD Pharmaceutical Regulations
MBA General and Strategic Management
MSc PV and Pharmacoepidemiology
Has a long experience in the regulatory and inspection practice
As well as the community pharmacy and pharmaceutical services in Kuwait.
Currently, has research interest in the field of health economics and Pharmacoeconomics and the economic value of PV.
Pharm Uchenna Elemuwa is a Pharmacist and the Director of Pharmacovigilance, NAFDAC Nigeria. I have a Master’s Degree in Clinical Pharmacy and Bio pharmacy and another Master’s Degree in Industrial Labour and Relations. I am a Fellow of the West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists.
Adela Ashie is a pharmacist with over 15 years of experience in Pharmacovigilance. She holds a master’s in international health (MPH IH) from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom and is currently Head of the Vigilance Unit under the Safety Monitoring Department of the Food and Drugs Authority.
Adela is involved in the strengthening of the pharmacovigilance system in Ghana through education of stakeholders including healthcare professionals and the general public.
Adela’s recent works have been in assisting pharmaceutical companies in Ghana to establish efficient Pharmacovigilance systems through the training of Qualified Persons for Pharmacovigilance and the conduct of Good Pharmacovigilance Practice Inspections since 2016.
Eduardo Jorge Monteiro Tavares has a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, a postgraduate degree in Evidence-Based Health and a master’s degree in Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics.
In 2004 he joined the Dr. Agostinho Neto Central Hospital, as Director of Pharmaceutical Services.
In January 2007 he joined the Agency for the Regulation and Supervision of Pharmaceutical and Food Products (ARFA), as Head of the Operational Planning and Markets Division and, in 2011, he was promoted to Director of the Pharmaceutical Regulation Department, where he remained until July 2016.
At the same time, in 2009, he began his teaching activity at the Jean Piaget University of Cape Verde and later, in 2010, at the Intercontinental University of Cape Verde.
In July 2016, he was appointed to the position of General Director of Pharmacy at the Ministry of Health and Social Security, having dedicated himself exclusively to this role until May 2019, when he took office as President of the Board of Directors of the Regulatory Entity Independent of Health, position held to date.
He was a member of the ARFA Advisory Board, a member of the High Studies Commission of the Forum of Medicines Regulatory Agencies of Lusofonia (FARMED), a member of the Rapid Action Technical Team, the Oncology Commission, and the Hospital Infection Control Commission of the Ministry of Cape Verde Health.
He participated in the preparation of several studies and legislative proposals in the areas of regulating medicines and pharmaceutical products.
Dr. Abena is a pharmacist by profession with a master’s degree in clinical pharmacology. She has worked with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Ghana for over 15 years and has been involved in the safety monitoring of marketed products in Ghana. She is currently the Head of the Risk Management Unit within the Safety Monitoring Department.
She has facilitated several training workshops focused on Medicine Safety. She has been instrumental in the monitoring of adverse events following immunization during the introduction of new vaccines in Ghana and is actively involved in the campaign of engaging patients in monitoring safety of their medicines. Abena has contributed to ensuring that pharmaceutical companies have established pharmacovigilance systems through training of Qualified Persons for Pharmacovigilance and conduct of Good Pharmacovigilance Practice inspections in Ghana.
Ms. Mwewa Mondwa Siame, is a Pharmacist with over 17 years’ experience, both in public and private practice. She has worked for the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) for over 8 years now, most of which time has been under the Pharmacovigilance Unit at ZAMRA. She has helped spearhead and improve Pharmacovigilance in Zambia. Currently, she is the Principal Surveillance Officer heading the Vigilance and Clinical Trials Unit at ZAMRA. She is also a Master of Clinical Trials Candidate at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
An astute and forward-thinking Clinical Pharmacologist with 26 years of experience and a history of achievements in the regulation of clinical trials, pharmacovigilance, and post-marketing surveillance. Lead MCAZ PVCT department to obtain WHO Global Bench Marking Maturity level 3(ML3) on 27 August 2021 for Clinical Trials Regulation Oversight (CTO) and Vigilance Maturity Level (ML3) on 18th May 2023. Final year PhD student at University of Cape Town study PhD in public health vaccine safety active mHealth surveillance. The leadership in development of the Zimbabwe National Pharmacovigilance Center displays both my initiative and willingness to be involved, and the professional recognition that this body is required to meet international standards of practice. Proven experience is evident in consulting roles for PV, PMS, CTO and GCP inspections and successful management of several projects co-funded by regulatory partners such as WHO, UNICEF, Global Fund, Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI), Vacci Train and Blood Train, and Global Health projects. This includes co-facilitation of several GCP, pharmacovigilance and trainings of setting up AEFI Committees in Africa at WHO and/or PEI organized workshops over the years. Awarded recognition as a WHO vaccine expert. I am an advisory member of the WHO African Vaccines Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) Technical Coordinating Committee and a WHO regulatory GCP and PV consultant who co-facilitated several PV and GCP courses in Africa.
Mafora is Pharmacovigilance Manager at South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). She has 11 years’ experience in medicine regulation, 3 years as a Medicine Regulatory Officer within the Pharmaceutical and Analytical division and 8 years within pharmacovigilance. Mafora is a pharmacist with masters in pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology. She has attended different pharmacovigilance courses offered internationally including training by Uppsala Monitoring Centre.
She supports the National Immunisation Safety Expert Committee and is an active member of African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU-3S) Joint Signal Management Group (JSM) and Continental Safety Working Group (CWG), aimed at facilitating cross-country signal management for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, to support action in the interest of public health and safety.
She previously worked in retail and hospital before joining medicine regulations.
BSc. Pharm. Cairo University, Egyptian Board of Healthcare Management. Ministry of health, Master of health care quality management Candidate-Arab Academy for science, technology and Maritime transport (AASTMT).
Manager of accreditation and development administration- General administration for pharmaceutical vigilance- Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).
Previously work as Senior PV specialist in PSMF assessment unit then PV specialist in ICSR assessment unit.
Has work experience as inpatient hospital pharmacist, inspection team on community pharmacies, supply chain subunit in a governmental primary care, community pharmacy and pharmaceutical production area pharmacist supervisor.
Doaa Soliman is an Administrative Manager with 10 years of experience working within health care sector. Doaa specializes in pharmacovigilance and is responsible of Supervising and management of 3 units which are the PV training, PV inspection and PSMF assessment units.
BSc. Pharm. Helwan University, Master of Business Administration (MBA) Candidate-Arab Academy for science, technology, and Maritime transport (AASTMT).
Deputy Manager of pharmaceutical vigilance.
General administration & Manager of Pre-Marketing Vigilance Regulatory Affairs Administration -General administration for pharmaceutical vigilance – Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).
Previously Pharmacovigilance committee rapporteur & Senior PV specialist.
Walaa Ebrahim is an Administrative Manager with thirteen years of experience working within regulatory authorities. Walaa specializes in pharmacovigilance and is responsible of Supervising and management of Human, Biological, Herbal, Medical devices, Veterinary & Biocides safety units, Supervising the development of policy proposals, Regulatory and executive regulations for pharmaceutical vigilance, Supervising the evaluation of risk-benefit balance and risk management plans for pharmaceutical products and for medical devices, Manage the Pharmacovigilance Committee and review the safety issues to be discussed by the Committee as appropriate.
She holds a BSc. Pharm. 2009, Master in Pharmacology, and toxicology Azhar University. 2018. She is the Deputy General Manager for post marketing pharmacovigilance and follow up – Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA).
Previously, she was a team leader of Cairo regional pharmacovigilance centre & Senior PV specialist. Maha Mohammed is an Administrative Manager with thirteen years of experience working in regulatory authority. Maha specializes in pharmacovigilance and is responsible of Supervising post marketing safety units, including ICSRs management unit, Signal detection unit, emerging safety issues unit, follow up unit and PRBER Unit.
Dr. Elirehema Mfinanga is an experienced public health physician with over 13 years of expertise in patient care; safety monitoring of medicines and vaccines; clinical development of vaccines and regulatory affairs. Currently serving as the national coordinator for the safety monitoring of vaccines and medicines at the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA). Dr. Mfinanga plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of medications and vaccines in Tanzania.
In his capacity as the national coordinator, Dr. Mfinanga is responsible for planning and coordinating all activities related to the safety monitoring of medicines and vaccines in Tanzania’s Mainland. He brings extensive knowledge and experience in developing pharmacovigilance systems, particularly tailored for the unique needs of developing countries. His expertise includes developing pharmacovigilance systems; assessment of Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSUR); Risk Management Plans (RMPs), Post-Authorization Safety Studies, and Pharmacovigilance Planning and Causality Assessment.
Driven by a deep passion for improved health outcomes, Dr. Mfinanga strives to make significant contributions to the advancement of health systems, leading to better health outcomes for communities in Tanzania and beyond. He holds a medical doctor’s degree from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and a MSC degree in Vaccinology and Pharmaceutical Clinical Development from Siena University in Italy.
With his diverse expertise and dedication to public health, Dr. Elirehema Mfinanga is at the forefront of ensuring the safety and efficacy of medicines and vaccines in Tanzania.
POSITIONS IN WAHO: Chairman Working Group on Information Management System to the WHO/World Bank/WAHO Medicines Regulation Harmonization project for West Africa.(2022-2024)
Member Technical Working Group on Information Management System to the WHO/World Bank/WAHO Medicines Regulation Harmonization project for West Africa (2018-2021)
OTHER POSITIONS: Member Technical working group on Traditional medicine Sierra Leone.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
City Nigeria
Training Courses Attended
of Ghana Kimbima Freetown 19th -21st August 2008
efficacy study for antimalarials Accra Ghana June 2010
Lebogang has over 12 years of working experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry, a fully registered Pharmacist with the Botswana Health Professions Council graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the Latrobe University, Bendigo Australia.
A Pharmacovigilance Manager with the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA), Lebogang has a firm grip in the Drug Regulatory systems, Market dynamics and pharmaceutical industry, currently responsible for core PV operational functions including Case Management, and Quality and Document Management, managing the operation infrastructure required to oversee all aspects of adverse event collection, processing, and reporting from clinical trials.
As the Immediate Past President of The Pharmaceutical Society of Botswana, Lebogang is involved in the development of Campaigns that promote health care industry and has gone to develop strategic relations and collaborations with stakeholders within the health industry in Botswana and the SADC region. A member of the Commonwealth Pharmacist Association Council, his role includes but not limited to advocating for collaboration and partnership amongst the Commonwealth Pharmacy Associations. A member of the joint taskforce for the Ministry of Health & Wellness and Business Botswana mandated with developing strategic projects that will see private sector collaboration in public healthcare delivery. Also, member of International Society of Pharmacovigilance
LK as he is affectionally known prides himself with the development of safety exchange agreements with license partners and distributors in support of PV collaborations, a firm believer that accomplishments validate facts you already know while setbacks teach the hard lessons.
He is the Division Manager for Pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring division at Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA). He is a holder of bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from National University of Rwanda and master’s degree in Public Health Methodology from Université Libre de Bruxelles/Belgium. Currently, he Heads a division at Rwanda FDA that includes different regulatory functions mainly Pharmacovigilance, clinical trial oversight, Post marketing surveillance, promotion, and advertisement con trol.
He held different position in Health system in Rwanda including Deputy director of District Pharmacy and Chief Pharmacist at Bushenge Provincial Hospital for 5 years where he was focusing and dedicated in clinical Pharmacy practice, Quality Improvement, and supply chain management. He was involved in Pharmacovigilance harmonization process in East African Community. He was involved in establishment of different regulatory function at Rwanda FDA where He coordinated development of different regulations and guidelines especially these governing Pharmacovigilance, conduct of clinical trials, Post marketing surveillance, promotion, and advertisement of regulated products in Rwanda. He was involved in development of Hospital accreditation standards in Rwanda. He has different trainings especially trainings in pharmacovigilance, clinical trials, Translation medicines, Pharmacometrics, Assessment and registration of medical products.
George is a pharmacist by profession and had a Master degree in Public Health from the University of Ghana and a certificate in Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen where his thesis is focused on patients’ contribution to pharmacovigilance in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He is a Chief Regulatory Officer and the Head of the Safety Monitoring Department at the Food and Drugs Authority.
He has authored several abstracts and original research articles on medicine safety in peer reviewed journals.
George’s interest is in strengthening pharmacovigilance systems and patients’ contribution to safety monitoring of medicines and other health products.
I hold a Doctorate in Pharmacy from the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Dentistry (FMPO) and a Master’s degree in Health Facility and Program Management from the Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences (FASEG).
Additionally, I have received training in the evaluation of drug Marketing Authorization Applications (MAAs) and the digitization of the healthcare system. Throughout my career, I have been involved in the digitization of the healthcare system, particularly in the digitalization of patients’ medical records, care pathways, and healthcare services in Senegal. I have also worked on situational analysis and problem-solving related to the dispensing and misuse of codeine-containing medications.
Currently, I am working at ARP, where I am involved in the implementation of a drug serialization system. I am also engaged in market control and surveillance activities.
Nadine Mouton, born in Windhoek, Namibia, is a dedicated and accomplished pharmacist. She spent her formative years in Windhoek, where her passion for healthcare and medicine began to flourish.
Nadine’s academic journey led her to the University of Namibia (UNAM), School of Pharmacy, where she pursued her studies in pharmacy. Her dedication and hard work paid off when she earned her honours degree in pharmacy in 2019. Following her graduation, she embarked on a one-year internship at Windhoek Central Hospital (WCH), solidifying her practical skills and gaining valuable experience in a clinical setting.
Currently, Nadine serves as a Medicines Information and Safety Pharmacist at the Therapeutics Information and Pharmacovigilance Centre (TIPC), which operates within the Namibia Medicines Regulatory Council (NMRC), under the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS). In this role, she plays a pivotal part in ensuring the safe and effective use of medications, contributing to the overall well-being of the population.
Dr. Catherine Mwendwa Maina (Kenya) is a pharmacist with over 13 years’ of experience in the industry (community, hospital and industrial pharmacy). She is currently the Regulatory Affairs Lead East Africa & Sub regional LPVRP –Kenya at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd. She is keen on leadership, thrives in problem solving activities, takes pride when out of box thinking enables business growth and development. She is involved in policy development and implementation of regulatory and quality assurance of medical products and health product technologies. An action-oriented member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya. Her day to day includes MP/HPT submissions, LCM, AE/ADR/PQC reporting, PV related periodic submission, Oversight of PV function in selected countries, Business support and Regulatory intelligence.
Catherine holds a BPharm & MBA – International business from the University of Nairobi, Post Graduate Cert – BIRS and pursuing Master’s degree – BIRs (Biotechnology Innovation and Regulatory science) from Purdue University.
Dr. Andrea Julsing Keyter Has Over 15 Years Of Experience Within The Field Of Regulatory Affairs For Pharmaceuticals And Medical Devices, Regulatory System Strengthening, Quality Management And Production.
She Is A Pharmacist By Profession And Has Completed Her Phd In Regulatory Affairs At The University Of Hertfordshire In The UK In 2020.
She Worked For The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority As A GMP Inspector Followed By Her Role As The Head Of The Medical Device Unit. Prior To That She Worked In The Pharmaceutical Industry Both In Production And Quality Assurance. Dr Keyter Has Expert Knowledge And Experience In Regulatory System Strengthening And The Application Of Reliance Pathways For Enhanced Regulatory Performance.
She Has Participated As A Member And Chair Of A Number Of Committees Including PIC/S, The African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization And The African Medical Device Forum; And WHO-Led Working Groups Relating To Quality Management Systems For National Regulatory Authorities, HIV Self-Testing, Artificial Intelligence For Health, GBT For Medical Devices And Post-Market Surveillance.
In Her Current Capacity As A Technical Officer, Appointed In The WHO Regulatory System Strengthening Team, Dr Keyter Is Responsible For WHO-Led Benchmarking Activities, Providing Technical Assistance And Training To Member States And Is The Focal Point For The WHO Coalition Of Interest Parties (CIP) Network And The WHO Global Competency Framework.
Summary:
Dr Rania is the Patient Safety Lead at Roche Egypt affiliate for 4.5 years, with previous experience in the pharmaceutical industry since 2008 ranging between sales experience for five
years and Pharmacovigilance experience for more than nine years.
Additionally, she was appointed as a Risk Management Product Lead on rotation for one and a half years in the Roche Affiliate Global Interface team.
Dr Rania is also a member of the ISOP (International Society of Pharmacovigilance), Egypt Chapter.
Professional Experience:
Current Position:
Patient Safety Lead, Roche Egypt
Previous positions:
Associations:
Member of the ISOP Egypt Chapter, 2020- Present
Education
Bachelor of Pharmaceutical science – 2008, Alexandria University, Egypt
Certifications:
Sarisha Naicker is an experienced and seasoned pharmacist skilled in Pharmacovigilance. She worked as a clinical research pharmacist for Setshaba Research Centre and the Aurum Institute.
In 2017, she completed the Uppsala Monitoring Centre Pharmacovigilance Training and has successfully established structure and process in the PV Systems at a few multinational companies.
She has overseen numerous PV audits and has been an invaluable member for the Medical Affairs department. Drug safety reporting is a critical function in pharma industry
and is integral in safety alerts and signal management.
He is a physician executive and medical epidemiologist with board certifications in pediatrics and medical informatics. Dr. Nordenberg’s career has focused on accelerating innovation at the intersection of digital health and science. Dr. Nordenberg serves as the Digital Transformation lead for the Safety Platform for Emergency Vaccines (SPEAC) program, funded by Coalition for Pandemic Innovation (CEPI), at the Brighton Collaboration and Task Force for Global Health.
Dr. Nordenberg is the Founder and CEO of Thriive.ai, a new population health company dedicated to safe medical technology. Thriive was awarded an Intel Innovations Fund grant for its COVID-19 Community Pandemic Response (CPR) Hub that enables community-based organizations to support their member’s health and wellness during a pandemic specifically addressing health disparities.
Dr. Nordenberg served as a member of the Health Information Technology Standards Federal Advisory Committee (US Health and Human Services) and the FDA’s National Evaluation System for Technology Planning Board. Dr. Nordenberg was a managing director in the health care practice of PwC; served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Associate Director for the CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases where he was responsible for the information systems supporting infectious disease surveillance and outbreak response; he also served as an advisor in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dr. Nordenberg was a member of the Science and Technology Review Subcommittee of the Science Advisory Board of the FDA, 2007 and 2009, and delivered Congressional testimony on the 2007 report, FDA: Mission at Risk; founded and directed the Office of Medical Informatics at Egleston Children’s Hospital at Emory serving in one of the first chief medical information roles nationally. While at Emory, he was a co-principal investigator on the original Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study that identified the linkage between abuse and adverse health outcomes.
Dr. Nordenberg received a BS in Microbiology from the University of Michigan, his medical degree from Northwestern University, completed his training in pediatrics at McGill University, Montreal Children’s Hospital, and his fellowship in epidemiology and public health in the Epidemic Intelligence Services (EIS) Program at the Centers for Disease Control with a focus on ‘big data’.
Dr. Nordenberg has lived and worked in many international settings over the past decades. He was one of the first international students in Mainland China and has worked on numerous initiatives in China.
She is a pharmacist, that graduated from University of Pharmacy in Tunisia and also holds a master’s degree in marketing Intelligence and Strategic Monitoring.
Prior to joining Bausch and Lomb, she worked for several companies in pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs sectors (AbbVie, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi Pasteur).
Ms. Hela also has regulatory experience with Novo Nordisk and Sanofi Pasteur for Tunisia and Libya.
Professor Ambrose O. Isah graduated from the University of Ibadan Medical School in 1979 and had his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. He had his postgraduate training in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the Wolfson Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom obtaining his doctorate degree (MD) in 1995. He is a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, the West African College of Physicians and the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.
He is a Consultant Physician and Clinical Pharmacologist at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City. Professor Isah has served on the academic staff of the University of Benin Medical School since 1989. He is a Past Dean of the Medical School; Past Head Department of Internal Medicine and pioneer Head of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Professor Isah is the Pioneer Chairman of the Internal Medicine Subspecialty of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics of the West African Postgraduate Medical College and Past Chairman of the Subspecialty of the National (Nigerian) College. He is the immediate Past Chairman of the National Essential Medicines/Drug Formulary Committee
Professor Isah played a key role in the establishment of the Pharmacovigilance system in Nigeria. He is the current Chairman of the National Drug Safety Advisory Committee (NAFDAC; MOH) and Immediate Past Vice President of the African Society of Pharmacovigilance (ASoP).
Prof Isah was the Lead in the development of the WHO reference standards for the Drug Use Indicators as well as the WHO Pharmacovigilance Indicators. He served as a member of the WHO Expert Panel and Advisor to the WHO Uppsala Monitoring Centre, Uppsala, Sweden. He was a Work Package Lead of PAVIA an EDCTP sponsored Pharmacovigilance Project in Africa
Prof. Isah is a recipient of the University of Ibadan Most Distinguished Alumnus Award 2021; a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Medicine; a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society and a Fellow of the West African Society of Pharmacology. A keen lover of sports, documentary movies, he is married with three children.
19 experiences in pharmaceutical Industry
13 years’ experience as Qualified Person Responsible for Pharmacovigilance/Local Safety Responsible, and as Quality Assurance Responsible Person
3 years’ experience as Consultant In RA & PV for local manufacturer in Jordan
Qualified International Trainer by International College in London
She is a senior researcher at the School of Public Health (SOPH), University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Hazel led the establishment of the area of specialisation in Pharmaceutical Public Health at the School, in collaboration with other colleagues from SOPH, the School of Pharmacy at UWC and Dr Raffaella Ravinetto, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp. This developing area of specialisation includes short courses, online modules and a research portfolio.
Hazel’s research interests include pharmaceutical human resources, using systems approaches to improve medicines quality, use and supply, and pharmaceutical public health education. She supervises several PhD and masters’ students in South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries. Hazel has contributed to several global reports for the International Pharmacy Federation (FIP) and the World Health Organisation and has provided academic support to Master’s and short courses for the University of Rwanda’s EAC Regional Centre of Excellence in Vaccines, Immunisation and Health Supply Chain Management and the Pan-American Health Organisation. She currently leads an EDCTP project (EU-funded) on Strengthening Pharmacovigilance and Regulatory Capacities in four Southern African countries (SPaRCS) and a project funded by Wellcome and the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) to develop Guidelines for Tackling AMR using Responsive Dialogues in LMICS.
Dr. Bassem Toeama graduated in medicine and has worked in clinical medicine as an oncologist, in academia, in the education and capacity building industry, and in the pharmaceutical industry over the past 25 years. His experience has been primarily in oncology, health economics and outcomes research, medical writing and scholarly communications, pharmacovigilance, clinical research, basic science research, continuous medical education, and continuous professional development. He holds an MSc degree in Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Oxford, UK, an MSc degree in Experimental Medicine at McGill University, Canada, and a PhD degree in health technology assessment at the University of Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Bassem is an experienced health economist, skillful medical writer, public health consultant at the WHO office in Cairo, Egypt, the CEO and Founder of MD Pharma Consulting Group Inc., and the Chief Research and Medical Officer at BeMe AI, Toronto, Canada. His areas of research are internal medicine, medical oncology, epidemiology, pharmacovigilance, health technology assessment, decision analysis, and benefit-risk assessment.
Pharmacovigilance Leader with Passion For Patient Safety with expertise In APAC, MEA, And Eurasian Region PV:
Laura Martin, PhD is the Vaccines Program Director, Global Health Technical Programs at the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP). Dr. Martin brings more than 20 years of increasing scientific and leadership responsibilities for the end-to-end development of vaccines of poverty-related disease in industry, government and academia, and a passion for global health.
In her role at USP, Dr. Martin leads the development and implementation of USP’s Global Health vaccine strategy to ensure access to quality-assured essential medical products. Previously, Dr. Martin was responsible for portfolios of candidate vaccine projects including those combatting antimicrobial resistant bacteria and malaria.
Mr. Jean-Christophe Delumeau, a member of the Scientific Board of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), graduated in medicine and neuropharmacology from universities of Rennes and Sorbonne (Paris).
After medical residency, he completed a research program in intracellular signalling at the National Institute of Medical Research (Inserm, France), then moved to clinical research in healthcare companies based in Basel, Paris, and Tokyo where he conducted multinational trials in neurodegenerative diseases and cerebrovascular disorders.
From 2001 until June 2020, he exerted the responsibilities of regional pharmacovigilance leader at Bayer in Japan, China, and Singapore until his appointment as head of pharmacovigilance policy strategy with a global scope. On July 1st, 2022, Jean-Christophe Delumeau, was appointed as a board director of the Institute of Pharmacovigilance, the NGO developing the Global Pharmacovigilance Professional Certification in collaboration with ISoP.
Dr Manal Younus is currently the head of Iraqi Pharmacovigilance Center based in MOH. Manal is a pharmacist with a Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacy. Key achievements include the establishment and the expansion of the Iraqi pharmacovigilance system. Represent Iraq in the WHO international drug monitoring program (PIDM). She is an International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP) Advisory Board member and represent ISoP in the Council of International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS). Manal is the vice president of the ISoP Middle East chapter, ISoP Pharmacovigilance Professional Qualification Framework SIG member and she had authored more than 30 articles in different drug safety related subjects. Finally, a member of the specialized committee for Antimicrobial Resistance of the International Academy of Public Health (IAPH).
Florah is a pharmacist by profession currently heading the pharmacovigilance unit of South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). She holds BPharm and master’s in pharmacy with specialisation in Pharmacovigilance & Pharmacoepidemiology. She joined SAHPRA in 2011 as Medicine Registration Officer in the Pharmaceutical & Analytical Directorate and later Head the Vigilance unit since October 2015 to date. She has experience in different pharmacy sectors, including medicines regulation, retail and hospital pharmacy. She has attended different pharmacovigilance courses offered internationally including training by Uppsala Monitoring Centre.
She supports the National Immunisation Safety Expert Committee and member of African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU-3S) Joint Signal Management Group, aimed at facilitating cross-country signal management for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, to support action in the interest of public health and safety.
Max Goldberg leads the global medical device reporting team for Worldwide Patient Safety at BMS. He holds a bachelors and master’s degree in engineering and has expertise in medical devices and combination products throughout the entire product lifecycle. Max has been involved in product development, risk management, manufacturing, and post market surveillance for medical devices, combination products, and biologics. He is involved in forming and implementing global combination product post market safety reporting regulation.
She is an American board certified for pharmacotherapy specialty, she has two master degrees, one in clinical. pharmacotherapy and the second in public Administration from the American University in Cairo.
She is a fellow at the Egyptian board for healthcare management. She has profound working history in regulating pharmaceutical practices in the Egyptian public and private sectors, she used to be managing the PV General administration for more than 2 years, supporting the additionally, she represents the Egyptian drug authority as an Observer at the international cooperation on cosmetic regulations working group ICCR. Previously, she used to be the antimicrobial stewardship national coordinator and participated in the development of the National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance.
She is a pharmacist by training. She has specialized in Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance, currently enrolled for PHD studies in Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden focusing on strengthening safety monitoring in public health programs with a focus on mass drug administration.
She is the Head of Pharmacovigilance at the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Kenya, and the Vice President of International Society of Pharmacovigilance, Africa Chapter. She has 15 years working experience in Pharmacovigilance related work and is responsible for leading the PV team in Kenya to develop regulatory systems to strength Pharmacovigilance within the health sector and pharmaceutical industry.
She is a member of the Pharmacovigilance and PMS technical working groups in Kenya, within the East African Community and The Intergovernmental Authority on Development Regional Economic Blocks and has contributed to development of various tools and guidelines for strengthening of PV in the region. Recently appointed as a member of the AMRH Technical Committee on Regulatory Capacity Development in Africa (ToR RCD)
She is passionate about patient safety and keen on strengthening pharmacovigilance systems and patients’ contribution to safety monitoring of medical products and health technologies, she is also keen in contributing to a pool of trained PV specialists in Kenya and gives honorary lecturers to both undergraduate and masters students at University of Nairobi.
Pr Nadjat LOUMI-MEDEDJEL, Director of the Centre National de Pharmacovigilance et de Materiovigilance (CNPM), is a doctor graduated from the University of Algiers, holding a Diploma of Advanced Studies from the Faculty of Medicine of Paris (France), a university degree in pharmacovigilance from the university Claude Bernard of Lyon and a doctoral thesis in clinical pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine of Besançon (France).
She took part in the creation of the CNPM with its founder Professor A Helali in 1998, whereshe has always been devoted to pharmacovigilance and materiovigilance.
Since 2016, she has introduced the concept of Phytovigilance, Réactovigilance, Cosmetovigilance, in addition to the vigilance of the drug, the medicaldevice and the vaccine alreadyestablished.
Teacherat the Faculty of Medicine of Algiers, wheresheteaches the module of pharmacology. She supervises the training of resident physicians in clinical pharmacology.
She supervises also the training of health professional in :
“Pharmacovigilance and Materiovigilance” ; “Medical good prescribing” ; “Monitoring plasmatic of medicine” ; “Rational drug use program”.
She is Editor of the independent Medical journal “la Revue Prescrire” since 2007.
George is a pharmacist by profession and had a Master degree in Public Health from the University of Ghana and a certificate in Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Groningen where his thesis is focused on patients’ contribution to pharmacovigilance in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He is a Chief Regulatory Officer and the Head of the Safety Monitoring Department at the Food and Drugs Authority.
He has authored several abstracts and original research articles on medicine safety in peer reviewed journals.
George’s interest is in strengthening pharmacovigilance systems and patients’ contribution to safety monitoring of medicines and other health products.
Brève présentation : Pharmacien, marié et père de trois enfants. J’ai treize (15) ans d’expérience professionnelle dont dix (10) ans dans le domaine de la réglementation et de la régulation pharmaceutique. Je suis dans l’amélioration continue du travail et j’ai une bonne capacité d’adaptation. Mes objectifs professionnels : Acquerir une excellente compétence dans la régulation pharmaceutique et Partager ces connaissances acquises en tant qu’expert.
Dr. Amira Amin received her Bachelor degree of pharmaceutical science. faculty of pharmacy, Cairo University in 2006 and Diploma in clinical pharmacy from faculty of pharmacy (Ain-Shams university) in 2010.
Today she is the deputy head of Egyptian pharmaceutical vigilance administration at Egyptian Drug Authority since September 2020 and joined from pharmacovigilance specialist at Egyptian pharmacovigilance center (EPVC) – (CAPA) – Ministry of health (MOH) where she honed her skills for 6 years.
Sisay Endale Biru is an academician and researcher at Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Ethiopia. He completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy from Addis Ababa University and Master of Sciences in Regulatory Affairs (Medicine Regulation Track) from the same university.
He also graduated from Admas University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management. He is currently engaged in research, teaching, and advising. He is the coordinator of Pharmacovigilance (PV) at the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital’s PV center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He works with the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Association as a trainer, PV course lead, and CPD course evaluator.
Additionally, he actively contributes to the development of policy, research, the development of PV training materials, and the assessment of medication dossiers for the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA). His research interests include health and drug policy analysis, drug regulation, and drug safety (PV).
Anna is medicines information and safety pharmacist with a Master’s of Science in Clinical Pharmacology. She has been heading the national pharmacovigilance centre for over 6 years. Prior to joining the regulatory authority in 2015, she worked in hospital pharmacy where she was also the focal person for pharmacovigilance.
She is the national focal person in the ongoing EDCTP funded project (April 2020 – March 2023) aimed at Strengthening Pharmacovigilance and Regulatory Capacities in four Southern African countries (SPaRCS).
Anna serves as a member of the Namibia Essential Medicine List committee as well as the Education Committee of the Pharmacy Council of Namibia.
MRS HOUDA SEFIANI is medical doctor, graduated from Rabat University School of medicine, Morocco. Specialized in pharmaco-toxicology. She has a PHD in Health Vigilances field.
She began her career as practitioner during 4 years before integrating the WHO Collaborating Centre: Moroccan Poison Control Centre and Pharmacovigilance Centre, in 2007.
Since 2007: working in pharmacovigilance activities, focusing on cases analysis, causality assessment, signal detection and risk minimization actions.
Since 2008: Involved in different training and pharmacovigilance development projects in collaboration with the World Health Organization, Monitoring Medicines Project, Uppsala Monitoring Centre and the Moroccan Pharmacovigilance Centre, to promote Pv in Africa and MENA region and to develop new tools to manage ADRs.
Since 2014, She is member of ATC-DDD WHO Working group.
Lebogang has over 12 years of working experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry, a fully registered Pharmacist with the Botswana Health Professions Council graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy from the Latrobe University, Bendigo Australia.
A Pharmacovigilance Manager with the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BoMRA), Lebogang has a firm grip in the Drug Regulatory systems, Market dynamics and pharmaceutical industry, currently responsible for core PV operational functions including Case Management, and Quality and Document Management, managing the operation infrastructure required to oversee all aspects of adverse event collection, processing, and reporting from clinical trials.
As the Immediate Past President of The Pharmaceutical Society of Botswana, Lebogang is involved in the development of Campaigns that promote health care industry and has gone to develop strategic relations and collaborations with stakeholders within the health industry in Botswana and the SADC region. A member of the Commonwealth Pharmacist Association Council, his role includes but not limited to advocating for collaboration and partnership amongst the Commonwealth Pharmacy Associations. A member of the joint taskforce for the Ministry of Health & Wellness and Business Botswana mandated with developing strategic projects that will see private sector collaboration in public healthcare delivery. Also, member of International Society of Pharmacovigilance
LK as he is affectionally known prides himself with the development of safety exchange agreements with license partners and distributors in support of PV collaborations, a firm believer that accomplishments validate facts you already know while setbacks teach the hard lessons.
Libert Chirinda is a Chief Regulatory Officer in the Pharmacovigilance and Clinical Trials (PVCT) Division at the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), where he is involved in managing vigilance activities as well as clinical trials oversight activities.
He has more than eight years’ experience in pharmacovigilance activities and regulatory affairs, and has been part of the PVCT Division, which is also the National Pharmacovigilance Centre for Zimbabwe, since 2013. He has been involved in several pharmacovigilance initiatives locally, regionally, and internationally, and seeks to improve pharmacovigilance systems in Zimbabwe and beyond.
He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy Degree from the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), as well as a Master of Health Sciences Degree in Pharmacovigilance from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Outside the work environment, Libert can usually be found playing chess or reading. Libert has been an avid reader for as long as he can remember, and his choice of literature spans across genres.
Shahinaz, pharmacist with more than 20 years’ experience in pharmacy and pharmaceutical business, currently working as Pharmacovigilance Quality auditor for companies in the EMEA region.
Started her career as a clinical pharmacist in Cairo University Medical School Teaching Hospital integrating with top HCPs of different specialties in interdisciplinary healthcare systems, where safety monitoring was always an integral part of clinical practice. Leveraging on her expertise, she joined the pharmaceutical industry working in Regulatory Affairs and later regional positions before focusing on Pharmacovigilance.
Actively working in pharmacovigilance regulatory Intelligence in a role enabling her to interact with industry colleagues and Competent Authority Pharmacovigilance departments. Shahinaz has contributed to several international initiatives and partnerships to help support patient safety and improve the monitoring of drugs for safety. She is an active member the ISOP Special Interest Group collaborating in the initiation of the GPPC (Global Pharmacovigilance Certificate).
He is the Division Manager for Pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring division at Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA). He is a holder of bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from National University of Rwanda and master’s degree in Public Health Methodology from Université Libre de Bruxelles/Belgium. Currently, he Heads a division at Rwanda FDA that includes different regulatory functions mainly Pharmacovigilance, clinical trial oversight, Post marketing surveillance, promotion, and advertisement con trol.
He held different position in Health system in Rwanda including Deputy director of District Pharmacy and Chief Pharmacist at Bushenge Provincial Hospital for 5 years where he was focusing and dedicated in clinical Pharmacy practice, Quality Improvement, and supply chain management. He was involved in Pharmacovigilance harmonization process in East African Community. He was involved in establishment of different regulatory function at Rwanda FDA where He coordinated development of different regulations and guidelines especially these governing Pharmacovigilance, conduct of clinical trials, Post marketing surveillance, promotion, and advertisement of regulated products in Rwanda. He was involved in development of Hospital accreditation standards in Rwanda. He has different trainings especially trainings in pharmacovigilance, clinical trials, Translation medicines, Pharmacometrics, Assessment and registration of medical products.
18 years working in pharmacovigilance, of which 10 have been as a director of pharmacovigilance for the affiliates at MSD. In his current role, Sean provides pharmacovigilance support to primarily the Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa regions.
Mr. Sean supports in the development of local PSMF’s at MSD, which are legislatively required or requested pre-inspection.
Responsible for Pharmacovigilance activities in the EU and Balkans, as well as PV Intelligence and Operational activities within the International PV organization.
Sean is a chairperson of two EFPIA PV working groups, (Africa and the Middle East).
Professor Riadh DAGHFOUS is a Doctor of Medicine MD. He received the title of Physician Resident for Hospitals of Paris in 1990 and obtained his specialty in Pharmacology at the University of Tunis during the same year. He became an Assistant lecturer in Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis in November 1991 and Associate Lecturer in December 1996 and now he is a professor of pharmacology since December 2004.
He has held several teaching positions including the position of coordinator of Pharmacology teaching (from 2002 to 2008) in the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis.
At the national level, he is now the Head (General Director) of the Tunisian National Center of Pharmacovigilance since January 2017and, the head of Covid-19 scientific vaccination committee and member of the Tunisian Health Ministry COVID-19 scientific committee, since 2021.
Professor Riadh DAGHFOUS is a member of the Clinical Pharmacology Research Laboratory of the National Center for Pharmacovigilance and of the Pharmacology Research Unit at the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis and is also a national expert in clinical trials since 1999. He’s an author of numerous national and international publications.
At the international level, he occupies the position of Tunisia representing in the WHO for the international network for the surveillance of pre-qualified vaccines.
He has been a founding member of the African society of pharmacovigilance since 2012 and a member of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance since 2001.
is a Pharmacovigilance (PAVIA) coordinator in Eswatini. Alemayehu is a pharmacy professional with advanced skills around pharmaceutical services and pharmacovigilance (Patient safety). He has over ten years of proven experience in pharmaceutical services, academia and pharmacovigilance at national, regional and facility levels.
In his current role as a Pharmacovigilance Africa (PAVIA) coordinator with Eswatini National Pharmacovigilance center, he coordinates pharmacovigilance activities and provide technical assistance to the National pharmacovigilance center in the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini to strengthen the pharmacovigilance system.
He previously worked with various USAID-funded projects including Management Science for Health (MSH)/SIAPS project as a Technical Advisor-patient safety as well as in Universities in Eswatini as a Lecturer.
Alemayehu holds a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, a master’s degree in clinical research and currently pursuing his Ph.D. in pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology at the University of Bordeaux, France through EU2P program. He has also done various PV training with different institutions.
She is a pharmacist, that graduated from University of Pharmacy in Tunisia and also holds a master’s degree in marketing Intelligence and Strategic Monitoring.
Prior to joining Bausch and Lomb, she worked for several companies in pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs sectors (AbbVie, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi Pasteur).
Ms. Hela also has regulatory experience with Novo Nordisk and Sanofi Pasteur for Tunisia and Libya.
PV Hub partner in Dubai Pharmacovigilance (PV) Hub with over 8 years of experience in Pharmacovigilance. Currently the Hubs Submissions champion and Automation Champion.
Career: Medical representative (Roche Nigeria); Medical tourism (Dubai UAE), Pharmacovigilance and drug safety (Roche Dubai, UAE)
Driving process improvement to achieve efficiency and better ways of working is my ethos.
She is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of an effective local pharmacovigilance system for the respective affiliates, the development and implementation of the local Patient Safety strategy, ensuring active contribution, partnership with local and global stakeholders.
She is a Medical Doctor graduated from Faculté de Médecine de Tunis. She joined Roche in 2012 as Clinical Trials Manager with full accountability for all the assigned studies at country level.
She worked in different positions with increasing responsibilities in Clinical Research in diverse therapeutic areas, Safety, Quality management and Medical Affairs for Tunisia and Libya. She has a strong passion to create value and sustainable impact on the ecosystem.
Vivian Rakuomi is a Pharmacovigilance and Health system strengthening pharmacist with over 14 years of experience working in both public and private sector of health care in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Currently he is a Senior Technical Advisor-Regulatory System Strengthening, with the MTaPS program within the Management Sciences for Health (MSH). He has provided technical oversight in the implementation of health and pharmaceutical projects in EAC and partner states, IGAD and its member states, as well as within Kenya and in Asia working with the regional bodies.
His areas of expertise include health systems management and strengthening; pharmaceutical services and systems strengthening; regional multi-country regulatory harmonization processes; pharmacovigilance and medication safety; medicines and therapeutics committees and rational use of medicines; quality healthcare and patient safety; standards-based pharmaceutical management (accreditation of pharmaceutical services), project management and capacity building; developing funding proposals, technical strategies, workplans and budgets among others.
He has worked with the Ministry of Health, Kenya, as a senior deputy pharmaceutical specialist offering services at policy and patient level, and the National Medicines Regulatory Authority in Kenya (The Pharmacy and Poisons Board) as a regulatory officer for pharmacovigilance and head of the post marketing surveillance (PMS) division. He is a Bachelor of Pharmacy graduate with a Master of Pharmacy in Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance.
Jean-Christophe Delumeau, a member of the Scientific Board of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), graduated in medicine and neuropharmacology from universities of Rennes and Sorbonne (Paris).
After medical residency, he completed a research program in intracellular signalling at the National Institute of Medical Research (Inserm, France), then moved to clinical research in healthcare companies based in Basel, Paris, and Tokyo where he conducted multinational trials in neurodegenerative diseases and cerebrovascular disorders.
From 2001 until June 2020, he exerted the responsibilities of regional pharmacovigilance leader at Bayer in Japan, China, and Singapore until his appointment as head of pharmacovigilance policy strategy with a global scope. On July 1st, 2022, Jean-Christophe Delumeau, was appointed as a board director of the Institute of Pharmacovigilance, the NGO developing the Global Pharmacovigilance Professional Certification in collaboration with ISoP.
Dr Ndinda Kusu is the Country Project Director with the USAID Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) Program and the team lead for Management Sciences for Health in Kenya. She is a clinical pharmacist and an experienced public health, program management and health system strengthening specialist with over 25 years of experience working with public, private, and faith-based health sectors strengthening health and pharmaceutical systems to increase access to and use of medicines and health technologies.
She has done immense work in governance, human and institutional capacity development; development and implementation of policies, guidelines, curricula, and tools; implementing continuous professional development; supporting continuous quality improvement, promoting rational use; curbing antimicrobial resistance and strengthening regulatory systems.
She has a passion for promoting patient safety through pharmaceutical care, infection prevention control (IPC) and pharmacovigilance systems strengthening. Ndinda has spearheaded premier initiatives such as the introduction of the Kenya Pharmacovigilance Electronic Reporting System, curricula reform, and introduction of a postgraduate Masters’ course on Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance at the University of Nairobi.
In support of African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) agenda, Ndinda worked with the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and other AMRH partners to support the EAC and IGAD Medicines Regulatory Harmonization Initiative through the development and implementation of harmonized regional guidelines, tools and approaches. She is a member of several health professional associations and committees.
Ndinda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and Masters’ degrees in Clinical Pharmacy and Public Health
Comfort Ogar is a global safety consultant with the WHO on the novel oral polio type 2 vaccine (nOPV2). Prior to her work with the WHO, she was a Principal Technical Advisor and pharmacovigilance lead for the USAID funded Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical Services (MTaPS) program led by Management Sciences for Health, where she supported low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia to establish or strengthen their regulatory systems with particular focus on pharmacovigilance systems. She worked as a regulator for about 18 years at Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), where she was instrumental to establishing the country’s national pharmacovigilance system.
She has a master’s in public health (MPH) from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a master’s in medical sciences (MMSc) in Global Health Delivery from the Harvard Medical School and is a PhD candidate at the University of Utrecht. Comfort is the current secretary of the Africa chapter of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP). She is married with two children. She loves traveling and mountain biking.
WHO consultant, Scientific board member at the International Society of Pharmacovigilance (ISoP), President of ISoP Egypt Chapter. Co-founder and former head of the Egyptian Pharmacovigilance Center, Pharmacovigilance Lecturer at MSA University. She was a principal contributor in issuing the “Good Pharmacovigilance Practice guidelines in Arab Countries” (GVP-Arab). At that time, she introduced new regulatory concepts to boost the PV practice at affiliate level for international pharmaceutical companies (e.g. Pharmacovigilance sub-system file “PSSF” & national display of a RMP). And established the national Pharmacovigilance Inspection program. She played an important role in strengthening Pharmacovigilance practice in Egypt and integrating pharmacovigilance teaching in Academia. She participates in numerous pharmacovigilance & medication safety training at the national and international levels. She supervised several pharmacovigilance research projects and had a list of publications in medication safety.
Anastacia Naidoo holds a MSc Pharmacotherapy degree and is employed at MSD South Africa as the Pharmacovigilance Country Lead for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In her role at MSD, Anastacia is responsible for all local PV activities related to the 27 African countries under her responsibility. Anastacia has over a decade of PV experience and has also worked at the two largest South African Pharmaceutical companies in South Africa, Aspen Pharmacare and Adcock Ingram.
An Egyptian Pharmacist with 6-year- experience in PV working in different companies ensuring the patients’ safety in various regions (Egypt, Gulf and Levant).
Currently, the LSR back-up in Roche Egypt for the past 4 years and the former LSR in Roche Gulf for 2.4 years.
Before joining Roche, Nour has worked in Bayer PV department covering the Middle East.
Zakaria holds a Doctoral degree in pharmacy from Algeria and a Pharmacovigilance certificate from France,
He started his career in Pharmacovigilance at Roche Pharmaceutical, where he has also served in different roles in Medical Affairs and Products quality.
Zakaria joined Boehringer Ingelheim in February 2019 as Local Pharmacovigilance Manager for North-West Africa Region and is currently, Regional Pharmacovigilance Lead for IMETA region (India, Middle East, Turkey and Africa) based in Dubai-UAE.