FDA Opens Latin American Office

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration opened an office in Costa Rica to serve Latin America. The office, which opened Jan. 7, completes another step in the President’s Action Plan on Import Safety.

Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Joxel García and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, were in Costa Rica to mark the opening.

The office in Costa Rica is the first in a series in the Region, which eventually will include an HHS/FDA presence in South America and México later in 2009.

“The countries of Central America, along with Panamá and the Dominican Republic, create the third-largest U.S. export market in Latin America, and, every year, the United States imports millions of dollars in goods from these important trade partners,” Leavitt said. “An HHS/FDA presence in the region will improve collaboration, strengthen our partnership and hasten the flow of quality goods to our markets.”