THE GOOD NEWS
There has been extensive and comprehensive work by the HPA Executive Council to engage with SAHPRA at the highest level, as well as other government aligned bodies and business organizations as part of the strategic lobbying, government liaison and industry alliance plan, which I fully disclosed to all members in my Chairperson’s report in December 2017. This goal has been underpinned by the HPA’s spirit of working towards a structured industry engagement as a source of strength, not conflict. This has been at the core of my personal commitment to both the HPA and the industry alongside the HPA Executive Council. This strategy is now coming to fruition and I am pleased to advise you that there is an imminent solution to the regulatory quagmire that the August 2017 regulations imposed on the CAMS/HS industry. I am so pleased to inform you all that this is about to be announced following enormous constructive engagement by the HPA with SAHPRA, in which my EXCO and I, have been fully involved.
The imminent SAHPRA announcement is anticipated to provide the way forward for CAMS/HS, and thereby should also address the impending November 2019 deadline which has been a major cause for concern by industry – and the HPA is engaging constructively and working hard to resolve this.
We have been successful in getting the HPA to host the “South African Port Health Requirements: Port Health and Importation Requirements” workshop with Mr Griffith Molewa that will take place at the Bryanston Country Club on Thursday, 30th May 2019, from 09h30 to 11h00. The goal of this workshop is to have SAHPRA address an issue which is impeding normal business operations for an Industry that is wanting to be responsible, legally compliant and to be able to effectively apply functional best practice to their respective businesses. Mr Griffith Molewa’s presentation is designed to empower HPA and general industry members to understand the step by step process of what needs to be done prior to importation in compliance with current regulations, what to do when the importation process is challenged by Port Health, with whom to liaise when this happens, and how to generally enable a beleaguered industry to resolve issues safely, expediently and effectively, hand in hand with SAHPRA.
Yours in Service,
Sincerely
MARIA ASCENCAO
Chairperson
Health Products Association of Southern Africa
“The HPA: Promoting and protecting the Health Products Industry”
