AUDA-NEPAD, under the AU-3S Programme, from the 25th to the 27th of August 2025 convened a 3-day hands-on Vigilance Technology Onboarding Workshop in Lusaka, Zambia for Wave 2 countries (DRC, Egypt, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda). 

With technical support from the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (UK MHRA) and the Gates Foundation, AUDA-NEPAD brought together 15 pharmacovigilance and technology experts to fast-track Africa’s safety surveillance systems business. 

In his opening remarks, the Director-General of the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) Mr. Makomani Siyanga stressed that “Every Individual Case Safety Reports (ICSRs) submitted must meet minimum standard of quality in guaranteeing safety of African population in the use of medical products.”

Key technology challenges shared during the 3-day workshop included:

•     Gaps in real-world evidence and structured data before product launches in Africa

•     Underreporting of adverse events despite significant investments

•     Fragmented, siloed legacy systems with limited interoperability

•     Shortage of advanced analytics capacity for signal detection and safety communication

•     Resource constraints in monitoring medicines and vaccines

Core outcomes achieved during Technology Onboarding Workshop include:

•     Country-specific insights into digital vigilance gaps

•     Hands-on training in data migration, systems integration, and safety informatics

•     Peer learning and cross-country knowledge exchange

•     Action plans leveraging data pipelines, dashboards, and structured reporting standards

•     Kick-off of a Wave 2 campaign targeting high-quality safety reports into SafetyConnect (AfriVigilance Lite)

This milestone demonstrates Africa’s collective commitment to harnessing digital surveillance technologies for medical products to build resilient and future-ready systems that protect African lives.