KUWAIT: Kuwait has obtained a permanent membership in the World Health Organization's (WHO) program for international drug monitoring, said the Assistant Undersecretary for Drug and Food Control Affairs at the Kuwaiti Ministry of Health, Dr Abdullah Al-Bader yesterday.

In a statement to KUNA, Dr Al-Bader noted that Kuwait was added to the program run by the (Uppsala) International Center for Drug Control in Sweden after successfully meeting all the necessary standards and requirements. The Supervisor of the Pharmaceutical Services at the Ministry, Dr Reem Al-Issa, said that the Uppsala International Center collects reports on the adverse effects of drugs and vaccines received from member states with permanent membership in this program.

Kuwait has fulfilled all the requirements for obtaining the membership, represented in providing the main elements of an integrated system for pharmacovigilance in Kuwait in terms of human resources, an electronic system for reporting side effects of drugs and vaccines, and a Kuwaiti guidance code for pharmacovigilance, she added. - KUNA