Published: June 23, 2025
MONROVIA — The Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Quality Management Solutions (QMS) Company to modernize its Ultra-Modern Quality Control Laboratory to meet ISO 17025 standards and World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level Three benchmarks.
The initiative, according to LMHRA Managing Director Dr. Luke L. Bawo, represents a historic step in strengthening Liberia’s regulatory system for medicines, health products, and essential commodities. The MoU was signed during an official ceremony witnessed by key stakeholders.
“This is a historic development for the testing of medicines, health products, and other commodities in Liberia,” Dr. Bawo said, noting that the agreement followed extensive consultations with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Ministry of Justice, the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission, and the Bureau of Concessions.
He said the agreement involves an investment of between US$3 million and US$5 million. The facility, once completed, will support comprehensive testing services not only for medicines and health products but also for food, animal feed, and petroleum products—serving both Liberia and the sub-region.
Dr. Bawo explained that the partnership is structured as a public-private partnership (PPP), with QMS operating as a profit-oriented entity. Under the MoU, QMS will recoup its investment through a shared revenue model that also ensures financial benefits to LMHRA.
He added that the laboratory will allow LMHRA to go beyond basic physical and visual inspection to full analytical testing, including legal enforcement against substandard products. The effort aligns with the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), aiming to increase national testing coverage from 40 percent in 2025 to 95 percent by 2029.
Dr. Bawo praised the LMHRA Board for its support and said the ultimate goal is to restore Liberia’s testing capacity to internationally recognized levels—particularly ISO 17025 certification and WHO Maturity Level Three.
QMS Operations Manager Shoaib Mirza also welcomed the partnership and praised the Liberian government’s vision. He said QMS is committed to providing high-quality, traceable, and reliable testing aligned with global standards.
“Our goal is to establish a trustworthy laboratory system that improves public health outcomes through scientifically validated testing,” Mirza said.
He noted that QMS has global experience working in countries such as Turkey, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates, and is currently engaged in regional capacity building—including training partnerships with the U.S. Pharmacopeia in Ghana.
LMHRA Board Chairman Dr. David Sumo expressed satisfaction with the progress made and disclosed that additional terms—such as fee structures based on testing scope—will be finalized in a forthcoming addendum to the MoU.
“Our vision is to see Liberia’s laboratory system restored to its rightful status and fully accredited,” Dr. Sumo said.
QMS provides specialized testing and quality management services tailored to the pharmaceutical, food, and petroleum sectors. These include drug consistency analysis, shelf-life studies, microbial safety testing, nutritional assessments, contamination detection, and fuel performance evaluation—all designed to meet international regulatory standards and ensure public safety.
As Liberia’s national regulatory authority, LMHRA is responsible for licensing, registration, inspection, and post-market surveillance of medicines and health products. It works closely with international partners, including the WHO, to ensure the availability of safe, effective, and high-quality health products while strengthening Liberia’s health regulatory system through policy and capacity development.
Discussion about this post