The Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) said, it is taking a significant step toward modernizing its Ultra-Modern Quality Control Laboratory.
The exercise, according to a release, is to meet both ISO 17025 standards and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Maturity-Level Three benchmarks.
To achieve this, the release said, LMHRA has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Quality Management Solutions (QMS) Company for the laboratory’s modernization.
At the official signing ceremony of the MoU, LMHRA Managing Director, Dr. Luke L. Bawo, described the move as “a historic development for the testing of medicines, health products, and other commodities in the country.”
Bawo said, although the process was long and complex, the prudent procedural steps were necessary for proper approval. It includes consultations with multiple government agencies such as the ministries of Finance and Development Planning, Justice, the Public Procurement Concession Commission (PPCC), and the Bureau of Concession.
Dr. Bawo clarified that the MoU involves an investment ranging from US$3 million to US$5 million with an eye toward profitability over time.
The laboratory’s upgrade will enable testing across various sectors, medicines, health products, food, animal feeds, and petroleum products, serving the country and the wider region.
“This collaboration,” Bawo said, “is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP),” noting that QMS is a profit-oriented entity.
The agreement details how QMS will recoup its investment and how LMHRA will benefit financially, with a shared revenue model.
He expressed optimism about establishing a state-of-the-art, comprehensive testing facility within months, recalling that the last such facility was at the National Drugs Service, which fire destroyed few years ago.
Once operational, the new laboratory will surpass mere physical and visual testing, enabling LMHRA to take legal action against products that fail to meet standards. This effort aligns with the mandate outlined in the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), which aims to enhance health regulation and increase testing coverage from 40 percent in 2025 to 95 percent by 2029.
Dr. Bawo praised the support of the LMHRA Board and expressed his confidence that the upgraded lab would restore the country’s testing capacity to international standards, fulfilling the vision of reaching ISO 17025 certification and WHO Maturity-Level Three.
QMS Operations Manager, Shoaib Mirza, also voiced his appreciation for government’s support, emphasizing the company’s commitment to delivering reliable, world-class testing of medicines, food, petroleum, and other products.
Mirza highlighted QMS’s global experience working in countries like Turkey, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Dubai, alongside its recent regional capacity-building initiatives, including training with the United States Pharmacopeia in Ghana.
He underlined that their shared goal is to establish an accurate, trustworthy, and fully traceable laboratory system that improves public health outcomes through scientific testing aligned with international standards.
Mirza reaffirmed QMS’s dedication to providing high-quality results that ensure safety and expressed enthusiasm for a fruitful partnership with LMHRA and the country’s stakeholders.
LMHRA Board Chairman, Dr. David Sumo, expressed appreciation for the progress so far and indicated that additional elements of the agreement, including fee structures based on testing scope, would be formalized through an addendum.
Sumo’s vision remains to restore the lab to its former status, achieving ISO 17025 accreditation and WHO Maturity-Level Three.
QMS offers a wide range of specialized testing and quality management services tailored to the pharmaceuticals, food, and petroleum industries. These services include ensuring drug product consistency, shelf-life evaluation, microbial safety, nutritional analysis, contamination detection, and fuel performance testing, all helping to meet regulatory requirements and ensure consumer safety.
As the country’s national regulatory authority, LMHRA oversees licensing, registration, inspection, and monitoring of medicines and health products, working closely with international organizations like the WHO.
Its role is critical in safeguarding public health by ensuring the availability of safe, effective, and high-quality medicines and other health-related products, and in strengthening the country’s regulatory system through capacity building and policy development.
the prudent procedural steps were necessary for proper approval.