African Medicines Agency
Agency overview
FormedProposed
JurisdictionAfrican Union
Map
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The African Medicines Agency (AMA) is a proposed specialised agency of the African Union (AU) intended to facilitate the harmonisation of medical regulation throughout the African Union. Following a similar model to that of the European Medicines Agency, it is intended to have a wide scope covering medicines, traditional medicine, and medical devices.

The AMA is the latest step in efforts by the AU and regional African bodies to improve medical capacity in the continent. Such efforts are intended to address a deficiency in drug production and challenges posed by counterfeit and substandard products. Once it is created, it is expected that the AMA will supervise and absorb roles currently carried out by other bodies, such as regional harmonisation efforts and pan-AU creations such as the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative and the African Vaccines Regulatory Forum (AVAREF).

The Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency was adopted by the AU in February 2019. It came into effect on 5 November 2021, after ratification from the 15th AU member states, Cameroon.[1]

The headquarters of the AMA will be located in Rwanda.[2]

History

The proposed African Medicines Agency (AMA) is a continuation of existing medical regulatory harmonisation efforts in the continent.[3][4] Across Africa it is estimated that only 3% of required drugs are produced,[5] with medicines not readily available during health emergencies.[6] The roughly 375 medicine manufacturers on the continent produce only 10-30% of drugs used in Africa.[7] Another challenge is the proliferation of substandard and counterfeit medical products.[8] Porous borders make it easy for such products to move within the continent, and there is significant variation in the quality of current medical regulation between countries in the African Union (AU).[9] While every country except the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic has a National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs), many are unable to carry out many expected essential functions. The WHO considers 90% of African countries to have minimal to no medical regulatory capacity. Many medicines are not distributed to some countries due to the length of time needed to receive regulatory approval.[4]

In 2005 the AU decided to create a “Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa”.[10] Under this the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative was established in 2009,[4] and fully launched in 2012.[3] The AMRH represented the first time that NMRAs within Africa worked together.[7]

During the 1st African Ministers of Health meeting, which ran on 14–17 April 2014 in Luanda, member states were requested to allocate resources for a potential African Medicines Agency as part of their efforts to improve medical regulatory harmonisation.[10] The same year saw the creation of 11 “Regional Centres of Regulatory Excellence”.[4] The proposed agency was inspired by the European Medicines Agency.[3] It is expected that the work of the AMRH will eventually come under the purview of the AMA.[7]

In 2016 the Model Law on Medical products Regulation was endorsed by the AU. This law serves as a model for national regulatory laws and facilitates harmonisation between countries,[4] and is promoted by AMRH.[3] An existing multi-country vaccine testing scheme, African Vaccines Regulatory Forum (AVAREF), is expected to expand under the AMA to cover other medicine and medical devices.[3]

The concept of an African Medicines Agency had unanimous support within the AU.[7] The Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency was adopted in February 2019 during the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union.[11] This was done through decision Assembly/AU/Dec.735(XXXII), which reaffirmed decision EX.CL/1141(XXXIV) from the 34th Executive Council ordinary session.[10]

Countries can sign the treaty either at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa or in their own territory.[12] It was written to enter into force 30 days after the 15th instrument of ratification and ascension was deposited with the AU.[13]

The AU's Specialised Technical Committee Meeting on Health, Population and Drug Control called for “urgent” ratification in August 2019, at which point only four out of the 15 necessary countries had ratified the treaties. Support also came from the AU Commission for Social Affairs.[11]

Dr. Margaret Agama-Anyetei, head of health, nutrition, and population at the African Union Commission, has stated that the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for such a body, and hopes that quick ratification would allow the AMA to play a role in distributing relevant drugs and vaccines throughout Africa in the coming years.[9] The Pan-African Parliament has also cited COVID-19 as an example of the need for the AMA.[14] In June 2020, the "Africa Medical Supplies Platform" was established by the AU to help combat COVID-19.[15]

Structure

The African Medicines Agency is expected to work with regional bodies, similar to those underpinning the African Economic Community.

The AMA is designed as a special agency of the African Union. Its aims will be to strengthen the capacity of AU countries to regulate medicines and related products, provide regulatory guidance, and harmonise medical regulation efforts across the continent. This harmonisation covers the actions of member states, the African Union Commission, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and Regional Health Organisations.[8] The AMA will build upon closer regional integration,[10][5] which has already served to reduce drug prices and the time needed for regulatory approval.[7] The ARMH worked through RECs,[4] and it has been suggested that these regional bodies become technical working groups within the AMA.[16] Countries who have signed and ratified the agreement will be asked to bid to host its headquarters.[10]

Medical products that would be covered include drugs, vaccines, medical devices, blood products, diagnostic tools, and traditional medicine. It is expected the body would work closely with the existing Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.[9]

The AMU is viewed as important due to the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is expected to develop into the African Economic Community by 2028.[10] Regional regulatory harmonisation within the East African Community, developed under the AMRH, was based on a free trade agreement within that grouping.[17]

Status

The Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency came into effect on 5 November 2021 after the ratification of 15 countries. As of October 2022, 33 out of the 55 Members of the African Union have either signed or ratified the treaty.[18]

Signatures


Ratification

References

  1. ^ "African Medicines Agency Will Come into Being on 5 November – after 15th African Country Ratifies & Deposits AMA Treaty". Health Policy Watch. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  2. ^ "African Union Selects Rwanda to Host African Medicines Agency, Grants Africa CDC Autonomous Status". Health Policy Watch. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e Anderson, Tatum (3 July 2017). "Enter The African Medicines Agency, Continent's First Super-Regulator?". Intellectual Property Watch. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Ndomondo-Sigonda, Margareth; Miot, Jacqueline; Naidoo, Shan; Dodoo, Alexander; Kaale, Eliangiringa (3 November 2017). "Medicines Regulation in Africa: Current State and Opportunities". Pharmaceutical Medicine. 31 (6): 383–397. doi:10.1007/s40290-017-0210-x. PMC 5691122. PMID 29200865.
  5. ^ a b "Interview "We are moving towards regional and even continental regulation with the African Medicines Agency"". Africa News Agency. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  6. ^ Klock, Kevin A.; Gostin, Lawrence O.; Halabi, Sam F. (November 25, 2021). "Going Global, Acting Local: How an International Pandemic Convention Can Support Regional and Community Response Convention Can Support Regional and Community Response". Africa Health Journal. SSRN 3976972.
  7. ^ a b c d e National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Global Health; Committee on Stronger Food and Drug Regulatory Systems Abroad (9 April 2020). Stronger Food and Drug Regulatory Systems Abroad. National Academies Press. pp. 61–. ISBN 978-0-309-67043-2.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ a b Tjitemisa, Kuzeeko (25 June 2020). "MPs welcome continental medicine body". New Era Newspaper. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  9. ^ a b c Jerving, Sarah (7 July 2020). "African Union needs more country support to launch the African Medicines Agency". Devex. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f "African Medicine Agency (AMA) Treaty". African Union. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  11. ^ a b c Mu Xuequan, ed. (5 August 2019). "African countries urged to ratify continental medicine treaty". Xinhua. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  12. ^ a b Africa Press Office (21 April 2020). "Gabon Republic signs Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicine Agency (AMA)". CNBC Africa. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  13. ^ a b c Kamau, Pie (10 February 2020). "Guinea, Seychelles and Niger sign Treaty for establishment of African Medicines Agency". Africa Business Communities. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  14. ^ "PAP Acknowledges Gabon; calls for ratification of the African Medicines Agency Treaty (AMAT)". Pan African Parliament. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  15. ^ Isilow, Hassan (17 June 2020). "Africa launches medical supplies platform for COVID-19". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  16. ^ Sithole, Tariro; Mahlangu, Gugu; Salek, Sam; Walker, Stuart (29 April 2020). "Evaluating the Success of ZaZiBoNa, the Southern African Development Community Collaborative Medicines Registration Initiative". Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science. 54 (6): 1319–1329. doi:10.1007/s43441-020-00154-y. PMC 7704514. PMID 33258094.
  17. ^ Dansie, Live Storehagen; Odoch, Walter Denis; Årdal, Christine (19 June 2019). "Industrial perceptions of medicines regulatory harmonization in the East African Community". PLOS ONE. 14 (6): e0218617. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1418617D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0218617. PMC 6583972. PMID 31216323.
  18. ^ "Thirty-three of the AU's 55 Member States Are Now Aligned with African Medicines Agency Treaty". Health Policy Watch. 5 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "List of countries which have signed, ratified/acceded to the treaty for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency" (PDF). African Union. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  20. ^ "The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic signs the Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency". African Union. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  21. ^ "The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria signs the Treaty for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency". African Union. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  22. ^ Kamau, Pie (29 January 2020). "Chad signs Treaty for establishment of African Medicine Agency". Africa Business Communities. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  23. ^ "Seychelles signs the African Medicine Agency (AMA) Treaty". Department of Foreign Affairs. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  24. ^ Africa Press Office (11 June 2020). "The Republic of Mali ratifies the Treaty for the establishment of the African Medicine Agency (AMA)". CNBC Africa. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  25. ^ Hatim, Yahia (6 July 2020). "King Mohammed VI Approves New Military Laws, International Agreements". Morocco World News. Retrieved 8 July 2020.

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