Afghanistan, India explore cooperation on medical supplies, food and drug quality

Afghanistan and India are exploring expanded cooperation in quality control, medical supplies, medicines and food products, as Afghanistan seeks to strengthen its standards and improve access to quality products.

Hamdullah Zahid, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Food and Medicine, led a delegation that visited a private laboratory in Mumbai during a trip to India.

The delegation reviewed the laboratory’s procedures for testing medicines and food products destined for export, with discussions focusing on quality, safety and technical standards.

The two sides also discussed potential cooperation in quality control, technical capacity-building and the use of the laboratory’s expertise to strengthen Afghanistan’s capabilities.

Under an agreement reached during the visit, the laboratory will submit a detailed proposal outlining possible areas of cooperation. Afghan officials will review the proposal before further technical discussions are held.

The laboratory also expressed readiness to assist Afghanistan with capacity-building, while the Ministry of Public Health will provide information needed to facilitate practical use of its technical expertise.

Focus on trade and technology

The Afghan delegation also visited a medical equipment manufacturer, a major food-processing facility and a factory producing raw materials for medical products in Gujarat.

Officials examined production processes, technology, technical capacity and quality standards at the facilities.

Discussions focused on supplying Afghanistan with medical equipment, food products and pharmaceutical raw materials, while also exploring opportunities to expand trade and make greater use of Indian industrial capacity.

The companies agreed to provide detailed lists of their products, which will be assessed against Afghanistan’s requirements to identify opportunities to supply quality products at competitive prices.

The Afghan delegation also invited representatives of the medical equipment manufacturer to visit Afghanistan to explore technology and knowledge transfer and assess the potential for producing medical equipment inside the country.

The Ministry of Public Health said the engagements could help strengthen Afghanistan’s quality-control systems while creating opportunities for technology transfer, technical capacity-building and improved access to standard health-related products.