Seven years following its initial launch of a Master’s programme in Health Supply Chain Management (MHSCM), the University of Rwanda/East African Community Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunisation, and Health Supply Chain Management (UR/EAC RCE-VIHSCM) is now introducing its second Master’s programme, namely, the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance (MPAQA), the first of its kind in East Africa.

The inaugural cohort, whose official induction ceremony took place on November 1, comprised 29 students from all seven EAC Partner States; Republic of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Kenya, Republic of South Sudan, Republic of Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, and from the Republic of Rwanda.

Speaking at the official induction ceremony, Prof Kayihura Muganga Didas, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda, stated that the objective of the MPAQA programme is to "produce highly qualified graduates with advanced knowledge and skills in the design, production, integration of vaccines and pharmaceutical analysis, and of course, supply and quality assurance.”

He further noted that the programme's content has been expedited by customizing an existing programme to suit the course. Present at the event was HE Ambassador Margaret Kedisi from the Uganda High Commission in Rwanda. "I want to thank and congratulate Rwanda, and in particular the University of Rwanda, for hosting this training as its centre. For those of us who live here, we have no doubt that such an undertaking would go successfully and even beyond its limitations.” Kedisi continued, "As for you students, we look up to you to make a difference. Health is a major aspect of human life. What you are doing is at the core of human existence. So I wish you all the best.”

This particular programme is a result of a series of extended workshops involving industry experts and international partners from Africa and off continent. It consists of 11 core modules and three elective modules, allowing students to select one module to pursue.

The Master’s programmes offered by EAC RCE-VIHSCM span over two years and are organised into four semesters. These programmes adopt a blended learning approach that incorporates face-to-face interactions, online components, and field placements, ensuring the effective transfer of competencies while minimising disruptions to participants’ work obligations in their respective home countries.

Stephen Yousif Ashara, a student and pharmacist from the Republic of South Sudan, states that nearly all medical products and technologies used in the country are imported. Therefore, quality assurance and quality control becomes crucial to guarantee the quality of medicines throughout different stages of production, distribution, and utilisation. Unfortunately, there are only a limited number of specialists in this field.

"I’m certain that the situation is not very different from other EAC partners, both in terms of manufacturing and regulating medical products and technologies,” said Ashara.

The inaugural cohort of MPAQA is optimistic that, after two years, they will be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. This will enable them to contribute to supporting the EAC as a region in manufacturing, assuring quality and regulating medical products and technology, safeguarding access to safe and cost-effective medicine and health technologies for the EAC region.

Dr Stephen Karengera, the Director of the Centre, emphasizes the distinctive nature of the programme in terms of its commitment to staying abreast of the latest developments and best practices in the field.

"The Centre is a member of various boards dedicated to capacity-building on the continent. Specifically, the centre is part of the Africa CDC PAVM Talent Development Workstream, responsible for overseeing the necessary training in biomanufacturing,” he explains.

Dr. Karengera also highlights that the EAC RCE-VIHSCM has established Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with various institutions and industries to facilitate industrial attachments for students and practical hands-on courses.

The Centre stands as the only state-of-the-art training hub providing full scholarships to students recommended by the EAC Partner States. EAC RCE-VIHSCM offers 28 full scholarships for students from the EAC Partner. Each Partner State actively participates in awarding scholarships, while collaborating with industries, especially through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), manufacturing plants, or Quality Control (QC) labs where the government holds a stake.

After the selection process, candidates are ranked by their respective countries to determine eligibility for scholarships. Each EAC Partner State is granted a maximum of four scholarships. Various criteria, such as gender, age limit, disability, geographical equity, and the distribution of human resources for health within a country, are considered in defining priorities for scholarship awards. Moreover, there are two reserved slots for self-sponsored candidates.

This year, 37 students from the 3rd cohort of the Centre’s pioneering Masters programme, MSc. in Health Supply Chain Management (MHSCM) graduated on 17, November, 2023. Since 2017 when the Centre was established, 25 graduates from the inaugural cohort and 35 from the subsequent cohort graduated in 2019 and 2022 respectively, signifying important strides made by the University of Rwanda/EAC RCE-VIHSCM to enhance knowledge and expertise in the field of health supply chain management across the EAC region.

The UR/EAC RCE-VIHSCM is mandated to build the capacity of health professionals involved in supply chain management of vaccines and other health commodities in the East African Community Partner States. The Centre delivers its work through research, training, teaching and provision of technical assistance. From inception, UR/EAC RCE-VIHSCM has been principally funded by the German Development Cooperation (BMZ) through the German Development Bank (KfW) through a series of grants. At the occasion of the official visit of Hon. Svenja Schulze MP, Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) on 1st March 2022 together with officials from BioNTec and kENUP Foundation, BMZ committed an additional grant of 10 million EURO to enable the UR EAC RCE create an enabling environment for vaccines manufacturing in the EAC through talent development.