Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia's National Agency for Drug and Food Control (BPOM) held the First Meeting of the Heads of National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in Jakarta, on November 21-22, 2018.
About 32 OIC member states, OIC institutions, as well as international development partners (WHO, UNICEF and IDB) and pharmaceutical and vaccine industry associations from OIC member states participated in this event which will be discussing a collaboration to help improve the regulatory capacity and the production of pharmaceutical industry in achieving self-reliance and accessibility of medicines including vaccines in the OIC member states.
The diverse condition of political and economies in OIC member states made several limitation of access towards medicine and vaccines in some of OIC member states.
Especially in conflicting and low-income countries which their mortality rates due to diseases still in high level. Moreover, infectious diseases are still a big problem for a number of the OIC member states.
Indonesia has been a member of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PICs) along with 49 other countries, in which only four OIC member states are included, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey and Iran. The Indonesian membership in PICs proves the ability of Indonesia's BPOM as a regulator that ensures medicines produced by Indonesia meet the international standards and are recognized worldwide, and thus can be exported.
Indonesia through Bio Farma has exported vaccines to 141 countries, including 49 OIC member states.
"With its capabilities Indonesia, through the national vaccine and sera manufacturer PT Bio Farma, has been appointed as the Center of Excellence (CoE) in vaccine for the OIC member states," said the Head of BPOM Penny K. Lukito.
In terms of vaccines production capabilities, Indonesia is one of leading countries among member of OIC.
Moreover, vaccines produced by Indonesia have received Pre-Qualification status from WHO (PQ-WHO), which confirms that the product have met international quality, safety and standards.
The results of the meeting with the theme "Strengthening Collaboration Amongst the OIC NMRAs towards Self-Reliance of Medicines and Vaccines" will be formulated in a document named "Jakarta Declaration".
This declaration contains commitments of the Heads of the Medicine Regulatory Authority of the OIC member states to improve the health quality of people and ensure their prosperity through the self-reliance of the production of medicines and vaccines that are safe, efficacious and qualified.
In addition to Jakarta Declaration, the meeting also produced "Plan of Action" which comprises various programs to realize medicine self-reliance for the OIC member states through piloting of the production of medicines and vaccines, producing generic medicines, developing biotechnology and bio similar medicines, and others.
This cooperation is aimed at jointly developing new products or certain types of vaccines that cannot be produced in the OIC region.
More information contact:
HALO BPOM Contact Center in telephone number 1-500-533, SMS 0-8121-9999-533, email halobpom@pom.go.id, twitter @BPOM_RI, or Consumer Complaint Service Unit (ULPK) Center / POM Center throughout Indonesia.



Reporter: PR Wire
Editor: PR Wire
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