Developing industry-initiated applications for regional health-service cooperation and medicinal-product value chains involving relevant IGAD-region participants.
In the IGAD region, a pharmaceutical manufacturer must often register the same product separately in every member state. This duplication increases costs and delays patient access to quality medicines.
To solve this, the region has established the **IGAD Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (IGAD-MRH)** initiative. It brings together National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda to collaborate on joint assessments and inspections.
However, while the *regulatory* harmonization is progressing, the *commercial* and *digital* infrastructure to execute it at the border and in the market is lagging. ACE is designed to bridge this gap.
ACE does not replace the NRAs. It provides the digital layer to connect their approvals to the market.
When manufacturers submit a dossier under the IGAD-MRH joint assessment process, ACE records the resulting approval and creates a verifiable digital certificate accessible to customs and buyers.
If a medicine is approved in Ethiopia and recognized in Kenya or Zimbabwe under a bilateral MRA, ACE acts as the instant verification layer for border officials, eliminating paper delays.
For health services (telemedicine, professional consultations), ACE provides a verified digital profile of health professionals, confirming their licensure and credentials across participating countries.
Connecting with logistics partners (like Ethiopian Airlines Cargo) to ensure temperature-sensitive medicinal products are tracked from manufacturer to pharmacy, with data recorded on ACE.
How a medicine moves through the ACE ecosystem using IGAD-MRH approvals.
A manufacturer receives approval via the IGAD-MRH joint dossier assessment. The NRA uploads the digital certificate to ACE.
The authorized medicine is listed on the ACE Health & Medicinal Portal, visible only to licensed pharmacies and verified buyers.
A patient in Zimbabwe uploads a prescription. The pharmacy verifies it, and the system confirms the medicine is authorized for sale.
The shipment is tracked via Ethiopian Airlines Cargo. Customs scans the QR code on the ACE digital certificate, instantly verifying the NRA approval for clearance.
If you are a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a licensed pharmacy, or a health professional within the IGAD region, ACE provides the digital infrastructure to streamline your compliance and market access.