Announcement: Commencement of Regulatory Measures for Imported Medical Products in Somalia The Ministry of Health, Federal Government of Somalia, is enforcing comprehensive regulatory measures for Health products and Technologies, including medicines, biologics, medical devices, herbal medicines, food supplements, medicated cosmetics, and tobacco. These measures aim to prevent substandard and falsified products from entering the market, in accordance with Law No. 9/1989, its regulations, and the National Medicines Policy endorsed by the Federal Government's Council of Ministers in January 2014. These actions are vital for protecting public health and strengthening Somalia's healthcare system. As part of these measures, the Ministry has established the Interim National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) and is actively operationalizing it to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of imported medical products. The NMRA achieves this through import and export control oversight and pre-shipment inspections. This development comes at a pivotal time when Somalia remains the only member state of the East African Community (EAC) yet to implement regulatory standards for ensuring the quality and efficacy of medical products. By establishing and empowering the NMRA, the Federal Government of Somalia is fulfilling its commitments at national, regional, continental, and international levels. These commitments include active participation in the East African Community Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (EAC MRH), the IGAD Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (IGAD MRH), the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH), and adherence to the frameworks of the World Health Organization (WHO). These regulatory measures will improve Somalia’s healthcare system, enhance access to safe and effective medical products, and protect public health. The Ministry of Health hereby notifies all stakeholders in the pharmaceutical supply chain both public and private including manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, retailers, suppliers, distributors, and transporters, to strictly comply with this directive. Effective Date: 10 January 2025 For more information, please contact the office of Somalia Interim NMRA: Address: Corso Somalia Street, Shangani, Mogadishu, Somalia P.O. Box 22 Email: info@nmra.gov.so ### Ministry of Health & Human Services FGS www.moh.gov.so
