African Vaccine Regulatory Forum
The African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) is a network of African national regulatory authorities and ethics committees that uses harmonization and reliance as pillars for capacity building. AVAREF works to ensure collaboration between key stakeholders across the continent—including donors, health professionals, and regional economic blocs—by promoting joint reviews and the sharing of work and expertise.
As a result of AVAREF’s efforts, vaccines against meningitis, malaria, rotavirus, pneumococcal pneumonia, and Ebola have been developed, and medicines against neglected diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis are currently being developed. AVAREF’s mission is to help national regulatory authorities, ethics committees, and sponsors achieve consensus on ethical and regulatory questions surrounding the research and development of medical products in Africa.
Its primary aim is to improve access to medical products across the continent by reducing review and approval times for clinical trial applications, while also optimizing quality of regulatory processes. Since AVAREF was formed in 2006, it has evolved into a strong network of partners and medical professionals who work together with Member States to build capacity and improve the harmonization of regulatory practices on the African continent in support of product development.
