MUMBAI:
During her inaugural address at the 6th WHO Bi-annual Inter-regional Seminar for Quality Control Laboratories (QCLs) involved in WHO Pre-Qualification, Union health secretary Preeti Sudan highlighted that Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is the only WHO pre-qualified laboratory in the public sector and stressed the need for more number of laboratories to be accredited by WHO. She also urged the state and central drugs testing laboratories to utilize the services available at IPC.
For the first time in India, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva and IPC jointly organized the “6th WHO Bi-annual Inter-regional Seminar for Quality Control Laboratories (QCLs) involved in WHO Pre-Qualification” from 23 to 25 October, 2018 in New Delhi.
The seminar focused on components of Good practices to be adopted by the QCLs to achieve the WHO norms and standards. It also talked about networking of laboratories and encouraged more laboratories from India to apply for WHO pre-qualification and strengthen their quality system.
IPC, Ghaziabad is an autonomous institution under the ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India, mandated for standard setting of drugs and pharmaceuticals in India and is the first WHO Pre-qualified laboratory in the Government sector. Dr S Venkatesh, director general health services (DGHS), Government of India focused on ensuring and promoting the quality of medicines as WHO pre-qualification laboratory.
Dr R K Vats, additional health secretary narrated the role played by IPC in ensuring and promoting the quality of medicines as WHO pre-qualification laboratory. Dr Henk Bekedam, WHO representative and Rutendo Kuwana, technical officer, WHO, Geneva mentioned the WHO’s commitment and meeting objectives respectively in the opening remarks of the programme.
On this occasion, Dr G N Singh, secretary-cum-scientific director, IPC welcomed all the participants and dignitaries from various countries across the globe and motivated all by focusing on the importance and need to have WHO QCLs Labs. Dr Meenakshi Dahiya from IPC thanked all the dignitaries and all the participants for attending the very important three days inter-regional seminar.
A total of 48 participants from 32 countries (Armenia, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Colombia, Cote d-Ivoire, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Russia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Viet Nam, Zambia and Zimbabwe) across the globe participated.
About 40 participants from government and private pharma companies were also invited to attend the programme. The seminar has been a unique opportunity for the Quality Control Personnel from Pharma Industries as well.
