New Delhi: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda inaugurated the 19th International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA) in New Delhi Monday.
India is hosting the ICDRA for the first time, bringing together regulatory authorities, policymakers, and health officials from over 194 WHO member states. The conference, organized by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), highlights India’s growing role in global healthcare and its commitment to ensuring access to safe and effective medicines, stated a PIB press release.
At the inauguration, the union minister said, “We believe that our progress is inseparable from the progress of the world, and as such, we remain committed to contributing to global health security and sustainability.” Nadda highlighted India’s success in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding its healthcare infrastructure, and scaling up vaccine production to meet both domestic and global demands.
India has a robust regulatory framework in place, ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs and medical devices approved for both domestic use and export to over 200 countries. The Union Health Minister drew attention to this, emphasizing the importance of digitization in enhancing transparency and trust within the regulatory system.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended India for hosting a key forum on drug regulation, highlighting the need for global cooperation in this area.
The conference, according to the release, aims to foster knowledge sharing, collaboration, and the development of robust regulatory frameworks to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of medical products worldwide. Discussions will encompass a range of critical issues, including smart regulation, medical device regulation, quality control of pharmaceutical starting materials, the role of AI in healthcare, and regulatory preparedness for future public health emergencies.