Business Day reported on 17 October that the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) requested additional financial support from the National Treasury.
SAHPRA has experienced a steady decline in its government grant over the years. In 2023/24, the grant fell to R137m from R146m in 2021/22, while fee income increased from R169m to R228m over the same period.
A shortage, particularly of technical staff, has severely impacted SAHPRA’s ability to promptly process applications for medicines and clinical trials, according to CEO Boitumelo Semete.
“SAHPRA received a clean audit from the Auditor-General for its 2023/24 annual report, a notable improvement from the previous year’s unqualified audit with findings,” said Semete.