Health and regulatory experts are set to meet from November 27 to November 29 in Mexico City at the “Second International Week of Regulatory Science and Good Regulatory Practices”. Their objective is to share learning and experiences, in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage in LAC countries, and to harmonize the legislation currently in place in the region through the application of internationally recognized standards. In this context, linkages between public and private sectors are seen as key to expanding access to drugs in future.

The event’s preliminary agenda cites five topics to be addressed at the meeting: global threats to health, contribution of regulatory science to health, adoption of international regulatory frameworks, good regulatory practices, and professional qualifications of health personnel. The event will be divided into three fora – a shared forum, a drugs forum and a medical devices forum. The drugs forum will be attended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Mexican Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks.

Topics under discussion will include antibiotic resistance, pharmaceutical manufacturing regulation, the U.S. regulatory experience, drug quality, drug safety, the impact of the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement on health services, supervision of the supply chain, and regulatory convergence to increase access to drugs, among others. The meeting will be attended by regulatory agencies from Brazil, Cuba, the United Kingdom and Russia.