ISLAMABAD: The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) and the World Health Organization on Tuesday agreed to boost cooperation between the two organizations. The decision was taken at a meeting between DRA Chief Executive Officer Dr Sheikh Akhter Hussain and WHO Representative for Pakistan Dr Muhammad Assai. Both the organisations pledged to work together more closely to better serve the people of Pakistan with a common goal of improving health conditions and provision of safe, quality and efficacious medicines to the common people. Both sides discussed matters of mutual interest, including effective implementation of DRAP Act, 2012, and issues regarding availability of therapeutic goods in Pakistan. During the meeting, the WHO representative stressed that both the organizations had a number of common interests. He assured DRAP CEO that his organization will make serious efforts to increase mutual cooperation for improvement in quality of medicines. He appreciated the commitment shown by DRAP in performing its duties for betterment of the ailing people in Pakistan. The WHO representative pledged his organization’s support to DRAP for enhancement of capacity building, streamlining of collaborative registration with other member countries and accreditation of DRAP as national regulatory authority. Both the sides also agreed on the exchange of information, knowledge, education and training with the shared objective of achieving universal health safety. The DRAP CEO thanked the WHO for its continued support to Pakistan. Published in Daily Times, February 21st 2018.