First pharmaceutical specialists graduate at UR-hosted EAC centre of excellence

The University of Rwanda-hosted East African Community Regional Centre of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunisation and Health Supply Chain Management has graduated its first 16 specialists in Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Analysis and Quality Assurance (MPAQA), in a move aimed at strengthening medical product quality testing and safety in the East African region and beyond. The graduates were among 50 professionals from six EAC Partner States who received postgraduate qualifications during the University of Rwanda’s 12th graduation ceremony at Rukara Campus in Kayonza District on Friday, October 23. Of the graduates, 34 completed the Master’s Programme in Health Supply Chain Management (MHSCM), bringing the total number of graduates from the two programmes to 50. The graduating students received scholarship support from German Development Cooperation (BMZ) and the German Development Bank (KfW), with each scholarship valued at €15,000 (approx. Rwf24 million). The support targets eligible public servants from EAC Partner States through an equal-quota allocation approach. John Patrick Mwesigye, Director of EAC RCE-VIHSCM, said the first MPAQA graduates are expected to help address gaps in the quality analysis, assurance and control of medical products across East Africa and beyond. He indicated that students benefited from advanced training using sophisticated equipment, instruction from lecturers with international experience and practical internships in pharmaceutical manufacturing industries and quality control laboratories. “Our expectation is that these graduates will contribute significantly to quality assurance and control of medical products across the health supply chain systems and with an expectation to have quality assured, efficacious and safe medical products circulating on the market and distribution outlets. They are also expected to play a critical role in enhancing manufacturing of medical products in the region, by utilizing the acquired knowledge and skills,” Mwesigye said. ALSO READ: Researchers explain why Africa struggles to share health data He urged the graduates to apply their knowledge to strengthen existing systems and improve services in their respective countries. “My recommendation is that they go out and fill the gaps that exist in our medical products quality analysis and assurance systems. They should become the nucleus of serving industry and communities, using the acquired knowledge and skills,” he said. Diana Nakkazi Nakato, a Ugandan pharmacist who works as a Quality Assurance Manager at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, said the programme enriched her scientific knowledge and strengthened her ability to make professional decisions. “The Master of Science was highly relevant to me, professionally and academically. It was not about introducing new things or new ideas to me, but about deepening my expertise, strengthening my scientific knowledge and equipping me to have a greater impact in my profession,” she said. Nakato said the training improved her technical understanding of pharmaceutical analysis, including investigating analytical challenges and interpreting quality data more critically. “It has made me a better quality manager,” she said, adding the skills would help her make more informed and defensible decisions in her role. She also highlighted the international exposure offered by the programme, which brought together lecturers from different countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and the United Kingdom. Although the programme is based in Rwanda, Nakato said the expertise and experience shared by the lecturers gave students an international learning experience. She recommended the course to professionals in pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry and clinical pharmacy, chemistry and other scientific fields. Malick Sogur, a Gambian graduate of the Centre’s very first progarmme, the Master’s in Health Supply Chain, said the knowledge and practical skills he acquired had already contributed to improvements in his country's medical supply chain, particularly in the national expanded immunisation program. Sponsored by The Gambia’s Ministry of Health, Sogur said he expected to apply his expertise more broadly after graduation, including improving the supply chain and and including management of other medical supplies. “Going back, I know the expectations are high. I will no longer limit myself to the supply chain in immunisation, but will also work to improve the wider health system, as the Ministry of Health expects,” he said. Sogur said the programme had contributed to the digitalisation of The Gambia’s immunisation supply chain, which he described as nearly 90 per cent digitalised. He attributed the progress to the knowledge and skills gained through the course and lessons from other countries, including Rwanda. He also highly commended the University of Rwanda for providing specialised training relevant to African health systems, saying the experience offered practical knowledge that graduates could apply in their home countries. “If I had taken this course in Europe, it would have cost the government a lot of money. In Rwanda, we get practical knowledge that we can apply when we return to our countries, at a relatively affordable cost and in the environment that relates to our own,” he said. Since 2017, EAC RCE-VIHSCM has graduated 174 professionals through five cohorts of its Health Supply Chain Management programme from countries including Kenya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, The Gambia, Burundi, Rwanda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The first MPAQA cohort marks an expansion of the Centre’s role in developing regional expertise in pharmaceutical analysis and quality assurance. The Centre has also expanded its academic portfolio to include a Master of Science in Vaccinology and a Master of Science in Medical Products Regulatory Affairs; the latter programmes were launched in November 2025. These programmes use a two-year modular, blended-learning approach combining face-to-face and online sessions, allowing professionals to pursue postgraduate studies while continuing to serve in their respective home countries and workplaces.

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First pharmaceutical specialists graduate at UR-hosted EAC centre of excellence