Lateefa Jamal Abdulla Al Marzooqi is a pharmacovigilance leader and regulatory pharmacist based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She currently serves as Section Head of Pharmacovigilance and Drug Education at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, where she leads strategic initiatives to strengthen medication safety and pharmacovigilance systems across the emirate.

With extensive expertise in drug safety surveillance, Lateefa oversees the monitoring and regulatory assessment of adverse drug reactions, adverse events following immunization, medication errors, and medical device vigilance reports. She has played a pivotal role in shaping Abu Dhabi’s pharmacovigilance ecosystem, including establishing the Abu Dhabi Pharmacovigilance Network (ADPVN) and leading the development of key regulatory policies related to safety alerts, recalls, and vigilance reporting standards.

Lateefa also led the establishment and management of a 24/7 Poison and Drug Information Service in Abu Dhabi and supervised national vaccine safety surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic through the creation of a dedicated AEFI call center . Her work focuses on strengthening data-driven safety monitoring systems and integrating digital reporting tools to enhance regulatory decision-making and patient safety outcomes.

She holds, bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Dubai Pharmacy College and postgraduate diplomas in Regulatory Affairs and Clinical Research, Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance from the Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences in Toronto, Canada, she was a fellow in ISMP Canada , hold Johns Hopkins Patient Safety Certificate Program and master certificate in healthcare management and services.

Lateefa is actively engaged in international medication safety collaborations and contributes to global pharmacovigilance discussions with regulatory and patient safety networks.

Dr. Reem Al-Essa has a PhD in Pharmaceutical Regulations, MBA General and Strategic Management, MSc in PV and Pharmacoepidemiology, MSc Health Economics and Pharmacoeconomics and BSc. Pharmacy (Honours), with a long and diversified experience in both government and private sectors in Kuwait.

She started her career in Kuwait Ministry of Health, Drug and Food Control, Pharmaceutical and Herbal Medicines Registration and Control Administration, holding the position of Drug Registration Superintendent. She was appointed in the position of Coordination and Development Superintendent at the Pharmaceutical Services Administration and then became the Director of Drug Inspection Administration (DIA) in addition to holding her role as a Pharmacovigilance Superintendent in Kuwait Office for Pharmacovigilance Surveillance (KOPS).

Aisha Mohamed is a Pharmacist and Regulatory Affairs Specialist at Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA). She manages critical portfolios across pharmacovigilance and market compliance, specializing in the assessment of pharmaceutical applications and the development of national regulatory frameworks and compliance standards.

Dr. Uchenna Elemuwa is the Director of Pharmacovigilance at Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). In her role, she oversees the implementation of the National Pharmacovigilance Policy, coordinating medicine safety activities in Nigeria. Dr. Elemuwa obtained a Ph.D. in Clinical Pharmacotherapy from the University of Benin. She earned her Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) from the University of Jos. She holds a Master’s Degrees in Clinical Pharmacy and Bio-pharmacy, and Industrial Labour and Relations. She is a fellow of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists.

Under her leadership, NAFDAC’s Pharmacovigilance Directorate has strengthened national systems for monitoring adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and adverse events following immunization (AEFIs). Dr. Elemuwa also leads collaborations with international partners, including the Uppsala Monitoring Centre, a WHO Collaborating Centre for International Drug Monitoring. She has been instrumental in expanding pharmacovigilance outreach through zonal centers in tertiary hospitals across Nigeria and training healthcare providers on medicine safety practices.

Dr. Elemuwa was the Chairperson Expert Working Group (EWG) on Clinical Trial, Pharmacovigilance, and Medicine Safety for the ECOWAS Medicine Regulatory Harmonisation Programme from 2016 to 2022. She is the current Chairperson for the EWG on Pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring from 2023 to date, and the Lead for the African Union Smart Safety Surveillance (AU 3S) Project in Nigeria. She is a Member of the National Coordinating Committee of the National Expert Committee on Adverse Events following Immunization (AEFI) Causality Assessment in Nigeria. She also leads the Saving Lives and Livelihood Pharmacovigilance Project sponsored by Mastercard through the African Centre for Disease Control.

She is instrumental to Nigeria achieving Maturity Level 3 during the WHO Global Benchmarking Assessment covering the Pharmacovigilance indicators.

Dr. Rehab Abdelkarim Mashaal is the Manager of the Pharmacovigilance Training Unit at the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), with over seven years of experience in regulatory pharmacovigilance and national capacity building within the pharmaceutical sector.

She leads the design and implementation of competency-based training programs for pharmaceutical companies and healthcare professionals, aimed at strengthening compliance with pharmacovigilance regulations and enhancing drug safety practices. She has played a key role in advancing national training initiatives, including managing Egypt’s National Pharmacy Internship Program, which trained over 7,000 students with a 98% success rate.

In addition to her leadership role, she contributes to pharmacovigilance operations, including handling regulatory complaints and supporting risk management planning.

She has also delivered international training programs across the Middle East and Africa. Dr. Rehab holds an MBA, a Diploma in Pharmacovigilance, and is a certified Trainer of Trainers (TOT), with a strong interest in digital transformation and AI applications in pharmacovigilance.

Merihan Ismail is a pharmaceutical professional with over 15 years of experience in Pharmacovigilance, Clinical Research, and Patient Safety across multinational healthcare organizations.

Throughout her career, she has held roles spanning local affiliate, regional, and global functions, with extensive experience supporting operations across the Middle East and Africa. Her expertise includes pharmacovigilance systems, regulatory compliance, safety reporting, inspection readiness, quality management, and cross-functional collaboration.

Merihan currently serves in a regional leadership role at AbbVie, where she leads strategic patient safety initiatives and collaborates with stakeholders across multiple markets to drive compliance, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Throughout her career, she has successfully supported numerous regulatory inspections and audits, ensuring adherence to global standards and regulatory requirements.

She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA), combining scientific and technical expertise with strong business acumen and strategic leadership capabilities. Her experience in both Pharmacovigilance and Clinical Research provides a unique perspective on the intersection of patient safety, regulatory expectations, and healthcare innovation.

In addition, Merihan is actively driving the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within pharmaceutical operations, leading initiatives that leverage AI to enhance productivity, optimize workflows, strengthen collaboration, and support innovation. She is passionate about harnessing emerging technologies to deliver smarter, more efficient ways of working while maintaining the highest standards of compliance and patient safety.

Passionate about advancing patient safety and fostering collaboration, Merihan is committed to driving impactful solutions that strengthen healthcare systems and improve patient outcomes across diverse and evolving regulatory environments

Dr. Emad Naguib is a medical doctor with postgraduate specialization in cardiology and over 26 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry across Medical Affairs, Clinical Research, Compliance, and Pharmacovigilance.

For the past 12 years, he has served as Pharmacovigilance Lead for the Middle East at MSD, as part of the company’s International Pharmacovigilance organization. In this role, he oversees pharmacovigilance operations across multiple countries, ensuring compliance with global and local regulatory requirements and supporting the effective management of safety reporting and risk management activities.

Dr. Naguib also acts as Local Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance (QPPV) in several countries in the region. He serves as a key point of contact for health authorities and supports regulatory compliance and pharmacovigilance oversight across the region. An active contributor to the pharmacovigilance community, he regularly participates in regional industry initiatives, including the EFPIA Pharmacovigilance Working Group, Middle East .

Dr. Alaa AlDabbas is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Inspire Pharma Consultancy and a pharmacovigilance specialist with extensive experience across Australia and the Middle East. She holds a Master of Public Health from The University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Pharmacy from The University of Jordan, and regularly delivers training on pharmacovigilance, ICH guidelines, Good Pharmacovigilance Practices (GVP), clinical trial safety management, and regulatory requirements.