Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
On August 18 and 19, 2026, an important meeting was held at Roca Golf hotel in Bujumbura Province, and was launched by the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Development Cooperation, Mr Aime NKURUNZIZA, General Director and head of the Burundi’s Integration Program at the East African Community.
This meeting, which brought together focal points from sectoral ministries and institutions, the Order of Pharmacists, major drug manufacturers (PONA, SIPHAR), members of Parliament, and drug regulatory authorities (ABREMA and ABREVPA), was dedicated to facilitating access to essential medicines within the Community; promoting medical products manufactured within the Community; to promote good manufacturing practices and quality standards in the production of medical products; to promote preference for medical products manufactured within the Community in public procurement; and to address related issues.
This bill is based on Article 118 of the Treaty, under which partner states have committed to harmonizing drug registration procedures to ensure effective oversight of pharmaceutical standards, harmonize national health regulations, and promote good practices in the procurement of medicines.
Mr. Aimé NKURUNZIZA thanked the parliamentarians for organizing this meeting. Parliamentarians play a vital role in engaging the peoples of the region in the integration process, particularly through public hearings on draft legislation held in member states.
He added that the EAC draft law on medical products aims to facilitate access to essential medicines and promote products manufactured in the region by emphasizing good manufacturing practices and compliance with quality standards. He noted that the Republic of Burundi has already established two national regulatory authorities for human medicines. He pointed out that the participants’ contributions and comments will help improve the draft bill before its official adoption.
On the behalf of Honorable Victor BURIKUKIYE, who represented the Chairperson of the General Purpose Committee—one of the EALA’s Standing Committees—he stated that the purpose of this meeting was to gather input from the partners who will be involved in implementing this law once it is adopted by the National Assembly and ratified by the Heads of State. He added that this was an opportunity to voice their concerns with the goal of harmonizing norms and standards in the manufacture and marketing of medicines to produce more affordable medicines that are accessible to the population.
With this in mind, the Honorable Member issued a passionate appeal to the Government of Burundi, to establish a school of pharmacy at the University of Burundi and other facilities that can contribute to the implementation of this law, as well as to train Burundian pharmacists who will develop this sector in line with the overall vision of Burundi as an emerging country by 2040 and a developed country by 2026.
Participants offered observations, contributions, and recommendations aimed at improving this draft law, including: the creation of a pharmacy school at the University of Burundi; strengthening human resources; pharmaceutical training; enhancing health security and local production; clarifying the lists of essential medicines and institutional responsibilities; and so on.