On February 25, 2025, representatives of the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control participated in the working group of the WHO Steering Committee on the Member State Mechanism for Substandard and Falsified Medical Products

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration among participants from different countries, including new participants. The session was opened by the Chair of the working group, Leticia Megías Lastra, who welcomed all attendees, including the new participants from Ukraine. She provided an update on the revised Terms of Reference for focal points, emphasizing the need for feedback and the development of key performance indicators to support them in fulfilling their responsibilities.

Mulugeta Russom, a member of the working group, led the discussion on the agenda, emphasizing the need for effective communication platforms and the activities of subgroups. He outlined the barriers to reporting to the Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) and proposed solutions such as developing guidance documents and an investigation manual for suspected substandard medical products. Leticia Megías Lastra confirmed that the GSMS platform is being streamlined, acknowledging concerns about its current functionality and inviting participants to join the testing group for the new version.

The group discussed the importance of accurately identifying participants and removing inactive members from communications. Mulugeta Russom outlined the outcomes of the group’s work, including the development of an investigation manual and revisions to existing guidance documents. The Chair of the working group proposed creating a flyer for information sharing and presented her review of three potential communication platforms: Workplace by Meta, Mighty Networks and Hivebrite.

The working group decided to assess existing platforms before making a decision on establishing a new one. Leticia Megías Lastra also provided an update on the revised Terms of Reference for focal points, emphasizing the need for feedback and the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) to support them in fulfilling their responsibilities.

Leticia Megías Lastra further discussed the updated Terms of Reference for focal points, inviting working group members to review the draft and provide their comments and suggestions. She highlighted the importance of establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to clarify roles and responsibilities and to enhance communication between focal points and WHO.