African Vaccine Regulatory Forum (AVAREF) was established by WHO in 2006 as a network of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and Ethics Committees (ECs) of African countries providing a platform for building regulatory capacity and promoting harmonization of practices in support of oversight of clinical trials in the region. AVAREF has since played a crucial role in the successful development of several vaccines, notably the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine, whose licensure and rollout has dramatically reduced epidemics of meningococcal A meningitis. The capacity of AVAREF has now been broadened beyond vaccines and includes medicines.
