MSI and partners have successfully advocated to have mifepristone – the second of two medications used for abortion and post-abortion care – registered and authorised for use in Tanzania.
MSI is delighted to share that the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Registration Authority have registered and authorised the use of mifepristone in Tanzania. Mifepristone is now registered in Tanzania for emergency contraception, uterine fibroids, post-abortion care, and the termination of pregnancy in line with local law.
The advocacy campaign was led by the Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania (AGOTA) with support from civil society partners. It involved conducting a study to assess the efficacy of mifepristone when combined with misoprostol to manage the termination of a pregnancy, post-abortion care following an unsafe or incomplete abortion, and for use as emergency contraception.
The study was supported by MSI Tanzania and AGOTA’s technical team, led by MSI Tanzania’s Dr Berno Mwambe, as well as MSI’s Global Support Office and Regional Support Team, who helped to gather the data and evidence to demonstrate the product’s safety and efficacy. In tandem, partners held VCAT training with decision makers from the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority, the Pharmacy Council, and the Ministry of Health to build support for the move.
Following two years of advocacy, the team achieved their goal of getting the registration authority and the ministry to approve the use of mifepristone. The registration of the product will expand access to quality reproductive healthcare options for women and girls in Tanzania.
Dr Berno Mwambe, MSI Tanzania Gynaecologist and member of AGOTA, shared: “This is a huge milestone for us. The evidence makes clear that the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol proves to be more effective in the termination of pregnancy and management of missed abortion than misoprostol alone, expanding options for women and girls.”
