Mongolia inaugurates the new National Reference Laboratory for Medicines and Medical Devices

The Government of Mongolia inaugurates the new National Reference Laboratory for Medicines and Medical Devices, a major milestone of the government's efforts to strengthen its capacity for public health emergencies and ensure access and availability for safe and quality-assured medicines for all Mongolians.

His Excellency Prime Minister Nyam-Osor Uchral leads the inauguration, along with Minister of Health Enkhbayar Batshugar, Dr Saia Mau Piukala, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, and Dr Socorro Escalante, WHO Representative to Mongolia, with Members of the Parliament and key government officials and partners in attendance.

© WHO / Jargalan Tsogt 

The laboratory is one of the major public health systems built under the Government of Mongolia’s Strengthening Prevention, Preparedness and Response through the One Health Project, funded by the Pandemic Fund with technical support from WHO. The facility was designed, built and equipped under WHO's technical guidance and in accordance with international standards for medicines quality control laboratories.

“Today, we are not simply inaugurating a new laboratory facility. We are taking an important step together to strengthen the national system that protects every citizen’s right to a healthy and safe life, and to bring the assurance of medicine quality and safety to a new level,” said the Prime Minister. “This laboratory is also a result of our long-standing partnership with the World Health Organization and partners, and opens new opportunities for future cooperation.”

The Government of Mongolia considers access to safe and quality medicines as well as the rapid entry of medical countermeasures for public health emergencies as part of its health security and health-for-all agenda. In addition, the quality control laboratory also supports the government’s goal to ensure the quality of antimicrobials as a major component of its fight against antimicrobial resistance.

The opening of the new laboratory is timely as Mongolia prepares to undertake the assessment of the Medicines Regulatory Authority under the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool. Quality assurance is one of the core functions of a national regulatory authority, including the detection and elimination of substandard and falsified medicines, and ensuring the safety and quality of medicines from production to use.

WHO Regional Director Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala and Minister of Health Enkhbayar Batshugar hold the certificate of turnover for the new National Reference Laboratory. © WHO / Jargalan Tsogt 

“Mongolia has recognized that health is a cornerstone of development and prosperity, an investment whose dividends are long-term safety and security for the country’s people,” said Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala. “As WHO Western Pacific Regional Director, it’s tremendously gratifying for me to see how rapidly Mongolia is progressing on multiple fronts in strengthening its health systems to better serve its population and contribute to health security across the region.”

In addition to infrastructure improvements, WHO has supported capacity-building activities, the implementation of quality management systems, and broader regulatory strengthening.

The WHO Country Office in Mongolia and the Ministry of Health led the execution of the project from design to commissioning and capacity building, mobilizing technical expertise across the three levels of WHO – Headquarters, the Western Pacific Regional Office, and the Country Office.

Dr Socorro Escalante highlighted the role of WHO in supporting Mongolia’s journey to reform its public health systems, stating, “We are both honoured to contribute to the strengthening of Mongolia’s national regulatory system as part of the broader efforts to reform the country’s public health system. We are humbled to have been able to partner with the Government and the Pandemic Fund in serving the people of Mongolia.”