Deputy Minister for Food and Drugs Attends Exhibition Organized by India’s Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil)

During his visit to India, Mawlawi Hamdullah Zahid, Deputy Minister for Food and Drugs of the Ministry of Public Health of the IEA, accompanied by a technical delegation, attended an exhibition organized by India’s Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil) to explore ways to strengthen the regulation of food, medicines, and health products and improve the production and importation of medicines and food products. He also held discussions with the council’s leadership on matters of mutual interest.

The discussions focused on streamlining and expediting the registration and evaluation of Indian companies and their products; strengthening the regulation of medicine and health product imports and related activities; enhancing joint efforts to combat smuggling; and exploring opportunities for Indian companies to invest in Afghanistan, either independently or in partnership with Afghan pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The discussions also covered capacity-building in various areas, the digitalization of regulatory processes, and the challenges facing the export of medicines to Afghanistan.

It was agreed that, within its mandate, Pharmexcil would work closely with Indian pharmaceutical companies to facilitate the relevant processes and address existing obstacles, with a view to expediting the export of high-quality, standards-compliant medicines to Afghanistan.

The council’s leadership also pledged to invite technical representatives from the Afghanistan Food and Drug Authority to participate in similar international meetings and programs in the future, enabling them to make full use of the opportunities available.