The 1st forum was held in Nairobi in July 2013. It's objectives were:

1.   To share the vision of PAHWP with major stakeholders and industry

2.   To brief stakeholders on PAHWP work plan and timelines

3.   To discuss:

• promotion and facilitation of linkages with AU-NEPAD, WHO and other regional harmonization working groups
• inter-regional cooperation among African regional economic communities and regional health care organizations

4.   To develop a communication plan among stakeholders

The meeting was organised by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine in collaboration with AU-NEPAD, the EAC Health Secretariat, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine and the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board. Financial support for the Forum was from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine through a grant from Grand Challenges Canada.

Summary of Recommendations from the 1st African Regulatory Forum on Medical Diagnostics

1. Fifth harmonization priority: harmonized risk classification rules for Africa
Recommendation: Add a Technical Working Group to take this forward, Develop a Strategic Plan within a month and achieve deliverables by next the Forum.

2. In-country consultations
Recommendation: Add a Technical Working Group to take this forward, Develop a Strategic Plan within a month and achieve deliverables by next the Forum.

3. Promotion of best practice, including transparency
Recommendation: Within the next 6 months the PAHWP should collect best practices that are relevant and already exist and identify gaps to fill through further efforts. The best practices will be put into case studies to be distributed via the PAHWP website and other mechanisms.

4. Capacity building plans
Recommendation: Identify opportunities for capacity building and develop a comprehensive plan. Identify mechanisms and opportunities for implementation of the plan.

5. Industry engagement
Recommendation: Establish opportunities for interactive engagement between regulatory bodies and industry including face-to-face meetings. (ASLM conference satellite, Moving Forward in Diagnostics forum) and PAHWP forums and websites.

Presentations from the 1st Forum

The meeting was primarily a Forum for discussion and sharing of ideas, view the meeting's agenda for a full run down.

1. Affordable Access to in-vitro diagnostics through regulatory harmonization approaches
Professor Rosanna Peeling, Chair of Diagnostics Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK)

2. The Pan African Harmonisation Working Party 
Dr Isaac Kadowa, Chair PAHWP (Uganda)

3. EAC Regional Medical Devices and Diagnostics Regulatory Harmonization Project
Mr Apollo Anglole, EAC National Medicines Regulatory Officer (Uganda)

4. Summary findings from baseline survey on regulation in EAC Partner States, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa
Dr Ruth McNerney, Senior Lecturer, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK)