APA – Kigali (Rwanda) The Rwandan government and the African Union Commission (AUC) on Saturday concluded agreements for the establishment of the headquarters of the first ever African Medicines Agency in Kigali.
The agency’s mandate is to build confidence in the quality of health products on the continent.
Rwanda was selected to be the host of the agency during a 2022 AU Executive Council meeting in Lusaka, Zambia.
Commenting on the move, Rwanda’s Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana said the institution will promote cooperation and mutual recognition in regulatory decisions and facilitate the movement of health products.
The agency has also the mandate to enhance capacity of state parties to regulate medical products, to improve Africa’s access to quality safe, and efficacious medical products.
The next steps will include getting leaders for the institution, and putting in place facilities like laboratories.
According to the AU, the AMA will be the second continental health agency, next to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), which will enhance the capacity of African countries as well as regional economic communities to regulate medical products in order to improve access to quality, safe and efficacious medical products on the continent.
The treaty is also expected to promote the adoption and harmonisation of medical products regulatory policies and standards, as well as scientific guidelines and coordinate existing regulatory harmonization efforts in the AU recognized and regional organizations.
The treaty is also said to complement the work of the Africa CDC, mainly through the provision of technical support in the quality control of drugs, at the request of members, which do not have the structures to carry out these examinations, controls and checks.
The AU Commission further called on all African countries to ratify and deposit the instrument of ratification to the commission, at the earliest, in the interest of continental public health, safety and security.
The African Medicines Agency, will enter into force once ratified by the minimum expected threshold of 15 African countries.
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