A NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR STRENGTHENING HEALTH SECURITY

It will be recalled that on December 15 and 16, 2025, in Brazzaville, health experts, pharmacists, doctors, representatives of national programs as well as technical partners met in a workshop dedicated to the examination, enrichment and validation of the National Guide to good vigilance practices related to medicines and other health products.

During these two days of work, the participants had carried out a thorough review of the document in order to ensure its compliance with international standards and recommendations in pharmacovigilance.

The ambition was clear: to provide the Republic of Congo with an operational framework capable of strengthening the detection, assessment, notification and prevention of adverse effects related to medicines, vaccines and other health products used by the population.

Beyond its regulatory scope, this guide represented a major step forward for the Congolese health system. It laid the foundations for a more structured national pharmacovigilance policy, aimed at improving patient safety, strengthening the quality of care, and consolidating citizens' trust in the health products available to them.

PHARMACOVIGILANCE, A PILLAR QUALITY OF CARE

Often overlooked by the general public, pharmacovigilance is nevertheless one of the cornerstones of modern healthcare systems. It involves ensuring continuous monitoring of medications after they are marketed in order to quickly identify any potential side effects, sometimes rare or unexpected, that were not always observed during clinical trials.

Antibiotics, antimalarials, treatments for chronic diseases, vaccines or medical devices: no health product escapes this constant vigilance.

The challenge is twofold: to protect patients while improving the quality of medicines available on the market.

A RESPONSIBILITY SHARED BY ALL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

According to the Director of Pharmacy and Medicines, Dr. Rosa Chanelle Inyognui Ollessongo, this guide clarifies the responsibilities of each stakeholder in the healthcare system. "Pharmacovigilance is about ensuring that medicines placed on the market do not cause harm to patients. If adverse effects are observed, it is essential that the Ministry be able to take appropriate measures, including suspending or halting the importation of certain products when necessary."

She points out that the guide introduces a harmonized procedure for reporting adverse events using standardized forms for healthcare professionals. "It is essential that every healthcare professional reports any observed adverse effects. This feedback will allow health authorities to quickly take the necessary decisions to protect the population."

UNDP WELCOMES A MAJOR ADVANCE

As a technical partner of the Ministry throughout the development process, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) considers this guide a decisive step in strengthening the Congolese health system. For Dr. Hugues Traoré, Senior Technical Advisor for Health at UNDP, this tool goes far beyond the scope of regulations. “We hope that this guide will become a powerful support for the Ministry of Health, both in managing alerts and in handling incidents related to medicines and other health products.”

According to him, the expected benefits also extend to the pharmaceutical industry. "Information from pharmacovigilance will allow manufacturers to continuously improve the quality, safety, and efficacy of their products. By incorporating feedback from healthcare professionals, they will be able to strengthen their manufacturing processes for the benefit of patients."

A CULTURE OF VIGILANCE AT ALL TIMES HEALTH SYSTEM LEVELS

The Director General of Healthcare and Health Services, Henri Germain Monabeka, believes that the success of the system will depend primarily on its adoption by all healthcare facilities. According to him, pharmacovigilance should no longer be limited to referral hospitals or central administrations.

It must now be extended to integrated health centers, general hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories, and the community level. "Medicines save lives, but they can also cause side effects. That's why all prescribers must be trained in reporting adverse effects to strengthen patient safety."

TOWARDS SAFER MEDICINE AND MORE TRANSPARENT

Beyond its technical aspects, this guide reflects a political will: to strengthen citizens' trust in the medicines available to them. In a context marked by the proliferation of innovative treatments, increased medication consumption, and the emergence of new health risks, pharmacovigilance is becoming a crucial decision-making tool for health authorities. The data collected will not only enable the rapid identification of products presenting a risk, but will also improve national pharmaceutical policies, guide regulatory decisions, and strengthen quality controls.

A DECISIVE STEP FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

The validation of the National Guide to Good Pharmacovigilance Practices for Medicines and Other Health Products represents a major step forward for the Congolese healthcare system. By establishing a culture of reporting, analyzing, and preventing adverse drug reactions, the Republic of Congo is moving closer to international standards for drug safety. Behind every completed pharmacovigilance report lies a crucial objective: to guarantee that every patient has access to increasingly safe, effective medicines, used under the best possible conditions.