Yesterday 25th November 2014 started the first two-day meeting of the Technical Experts on the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency at African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting is taking place in a context of a Global Public Health Emergency due to the largest Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak ever, affecting West Africa particularly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and the fact that there are weak and disorganized health systems in most of the African Countries to tackle the potential outbreaks in future.The Task Team is composed of experts from member states across the continent, experts from Regional Economic Communities, NEPAD Agency, African Union Commission, Pan African Parliament, World Health Organisation and other relevant UN organisations, academia and other relevant institutions.
Speaking on behalf of the AUC Director for Social Affairs, Dr. Yankuba Kassama, the Director for Medical Services of the African Union Commission, highlighted that the propose establishment of AMA as a robust autonomous regulatory body with strong capacities for undertaking a series of broad regulatory functions; including the issuing of marketing authorization, good practice inspections and audits, regulation of the supply chain, pharmacovigilance, quality control laboratory testing, promotion of rational use of medicines and enforcement operations among other functions, will enable the continent to improve access to quality essential medicines, promote and protect public health and create an enabling environment for the growth of its local manufacturing industry.
“The AUC will continue to play its Political and coordination leadership role in the consultative process envisaged to be utilized in the establishment of the agency including identifying synergies with ongoing continental efforts such as Continental Free Trade Area and the AU Model on regulations of medical products which we hope will lead to increased understanding among national and regional policy makers generating evidence for informed and sound decision making on the establishment of the agency” said Dr. Kassama.
On the other hand, speaking on behalf of the Regional Director of WHO Africa, Dr. Doulo Delamy, Director of Health Systems and Services Cluster noted that strengthening countries’ capacities to ensure the quality, efficacy and safety of medical products is one of the priority areas of the WHO Regional Office for Africa. Dr. Delamy also insisted that following the recent outbreak of Ebola Various Disease, different consultations have been made and all emphasize the need for coordinated regulatory efforts in Africa to reduce procedural timelines, promote transparent data sharing between regulators and product developers and harmonized guidance to manufacturers on regulatory and ethics requirements.
The experts meeting is expected to enable Terms of reference of the Task Team to facilitate the establishment of AMA adopted by the Task Team, to adopt an Action Plan for the Task Team and develop guidance and recommendations on next steps made to the AUC and WHO.
Source: African Union Online, 26th Nov, 2014
