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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
WHO designates South Korea's Global Harmonization Centre as a new collaborating hub to strengthen health product regulation worldwide. About 70% of WHO member states still lack well-functioning regulatory systems, leaving millions vulnerable to unsafe medicines and vaccines. The centre will deliver competency-based training to build regulatory workforces, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially designated South Korea's Global Harmonization Centre (GHC) — hosted by the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS) under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) — as a new WHO collaborating centre focused on health products regulatory system strengthening and training. The move builds on nearly two decades of WHO-Korea collaboration and marks a significant step up in ambition.
The core problem the centre aims to tackle is stark: roughly 70% of WHO member states still lack well-functioning regulatory systems, and shortages of skilled regulatory professionals are especially acute in low- and middle-income countries. Add in rapid scientific innovation, globalized supply chains, and increasingly complex health products, and the pressure on regulatory agencies has never been greater.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: When regulatory systems fall short, unsafe or substandard medicines and vaccines can reach patients — with potentially serious consequences. By scaling up training through a proven regulatory leader like South Korea, WHO is investing in the foundational infrastructure that keeps global health systems trustworthy and resilient.
