Cairo: Spokesperson for the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) Yassin Ragai said the World Health Organization's (WHO) prequalification of the Authority's pharmaceutical quality control laboratories marks a major step in strengthening Egypt's position among global drug regulatory authorities and enhancing its capacity to serve as a reference for assessing the quality of medicines and pharmaceutical products.According to State Information Service Egypt, in a phone-in interview with Hatha Al-Sabah (This Morning), aired on Extra News TV, Ragai said the international recognition makes the EDA's quality control laboratories the first Egyptian regulatory laboratories to obtain WHO prequalification. The achievement came after the laboratories successfully passed a series of tests, assessment visits, and inspections conducted by the WHO.Ragai said the prequalification reflects the efficiency of Egypt's regulatory system and the compliance of procedures followed by the EDA with international standards, helping strength en confidence in the country's capabilities in pharmaceutical quality control. He noted that the achievement comes as part of a series of international milestones achieved by the EDA, including its attainment of WHO Maturity Level 3 and ongoing efforts to fulfill the requirements for reaching Maturity Level 4, in addition to Egypt's designation as a training center for biopharmaceutical manufacturing.Ragai said international recognition of the capabilities of Egypt's quality control laboratories would enhance the country's ability to participate in medicine quality assessment systems used by international agencies and organizations. It would also strengthen Egypt's role in decision-making processes related to the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines, he said.The spokesperson said ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of pharmaceutical products is among the EDA's key regulatory responsibilities. He added that greater international recognition of Egypt's regulatory capabilities would help boost p ublic confidence in Egyptian medicines, enhance their reputation, and facilitate their access to global markets.Ragai stressed that the EDA now has the capabilities to assess locally produced and imported medicines, including products from reference countries, and to serve as a reference regulatory authority in evaluating their quality, suitability, and availability in the Egyptian market. This, he said, would further strengthen Egypt's presence in Africa and internationally.