Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency - 6thMeeting of the IRCH

The 6^thMeeting of the IRCH – International Regulatory Cooperation for Herbal Medicines, to be held in Curitiba, Paraná State, from 10 to 12 December, will close Anvisa’s international event agenda in 2012. The IRCH is a WHO technical group that aims to protect and promote public health and herbal medicines safety, in addition to seeking for instruments to improve the regulation of these products.

The meeting will be held in South America because of the need, already identified by the WHO, of involving the experts from countries in the region, who have a great knowledge on issues regarding the traditional use of herbs and medicines made from medicinal plants.

Anvisa’s director-president Dirceu Barbano highlights that holding these strategic events in Brazil “reflects the international community’s acknowledgement of the agency’s regulatory ability”. Barbano stresses that Anvisa has sought “excellency in its actions, and closeness to the other agencies to harmonize procedures and make decision-making more agile”.

http://portal.anvisa.gov.br/wps/portal/anvisa-ingles/anvisaingles/News/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3hfRw8jD0NnA3cLSw83A08jS18nMwNnAxN3I_2CbEdFAHlqbj8!/?WCM_PORTLET=PC_7_MAH2H1C0G89HF0I29MB60C0441020591_WCM&WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/anvisa+ingles/anvisa/news/strategic+events+promote+anvisa+at+international+level

IRCH annual meetings:

• The first annual meeting of IRCH was held in Beijing, China in October 2006;
• The second annual meeting of IRCH was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July 2007;
• The third annual meeting of IRCH was held in Montreal, Canada in February 2009;
• The fourth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in June 2010;
• The fifth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Guangzhou, China in November/December 2011;
• The sixth annual meeting of IRCH was held in Curitiba, Brazil in December 2012