It will now take the South African health regulator Sahpra an average of 90 days to approve a new Covid-19 vaccine.

Under the Medicines and Related Substances Act, it indicates that it will usually take 20-months on average to approve a new medicine for use in South Africa. However, due to pressure from the country’s third wave of Covid-19 infections, and criticism from health experts for the slow vaccine roll-out, Sahpra was forced to pick up its pace.

Sahpra CEO Dr. Boitemelo Semete-Makokotlela says the medicines approval process entails a rigorous process of assessments. But the regulator managed to drastically reduce the time required for new vaccines to be approved and registered for use in South Africa.

[Picture: www.cincinnatichildrens.org]