Supporting Policy and Regulatory Frameworks

The platform works to improve policy and regulatory frameworks on the development and use of transformative technologies and tools for tackling health challenges at national and regional levels in Africa.

There is recognition that technology is key to accelerating Africa’s development trajectory as envisioned in the African Union (AU)’s Agenda 2063 and long-term national development strategies. However, for many of the emerging health technologies, the lack of clear policies and regulatory pathways on how to develop, test and deploy some of these technologies at scale is one of the challenges that hinder the development and advancement of these technologies.

The platform seeks to support relevant government agencies to review or develop policies or guidelines needed to guide development, testing and adoption the technologies of study. Part of this involves providing technical support for the development of policies and regulatory pathways. In doing this, the Platform’s work complements and enriches the efforts of partners like the African Union Development Agency (AUDA/NEPAD) who are spearheading efforts to build capacity and support countries to establish the necessary regulatory framework for guiding research on emerging technologies including the gene drive technology for elimination of Malaria on the continent. Some of the specific actions for the platform include;

• Collaboration with AUDA-NEPAD in hosting national level meetings and dialogues with relevant government agencies in project countries on the implementation of the of the AU 2017 resolution on gene drive technologies and the 2018 AUDA-NEPAD recommendations on use of gene drive mosquitoes.
• Engaging relevant agencies such as the Ministry of Health’s Malaria Program -in the case of gene drive technology for malaria control and elimination – to facilitate researchers to identify gaps in the policy framework needed to regulate the development of technologies and providing recommendations to facilitate the country’s efforts in gene drive mosquito research and possible deployment.
• We have established country-level and regional partnerships to spearhead project implementation at national and regional level. Currently we have partnered with Nouna Health Research Centre (CRSN) in Burkina Faso and the Prime Ministers Delivery Unit and Centre for Policy Analysis in Uganda

Download our policy brief here.

Browse national and regional policies on emerging health technologies here.