African Leaders Seek Full Operationalisation Of AMA To Safeguard Health Security

African leaders have urged swift action to fully operationalise the African Medicines Agency (AMA) and called on the 24 African Union (AU) member states yet to ratify the AMA Treaty to act without delay.

They stressed the importance of ensuring access to quality, safe and effective medical products across the continent.

The call came during a High‑Level Presidential Breakfast on AMA Operationalisation, held on the margins of the 39th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa.

The event, convened by the AMA, brought together Heads of State, AU leadership, and senior representatives from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.

Leaders highlighted AMA’s critical role in strengthening continental regulation of medical products, enhancing health security, and supporting Africa’s industrialisation goals. While significant progress has been made in establishing the agency and operationalising its headquarters in Kigali, only 31 of the AU’s 55 Member States have ratified the AMA Treaty, and several still need to complete domestic implementation measures.

Vice President of Seychelles, Mr. Sebastien Pillay, reaffirmed his country’s commitment, announcing a financial contribution of USD 200,000, double the required seed fund for state parties, and urged larger nations to match this dedication.

Minister of Health of Tunisia, Dr. Mustapha Ferjani, emphasised that “Africa’s health sovereignty depends on regulatory sovereignty,” urging all states to ratify the Treaty and equip AMA with the resources, skills, and governance needed to protect the continent’s health.

Director General of AMA, Dr. Delese Mimi Darko, briefed leaders on the agency’s priorities, including universal ratification, achieving WHO Listed Authority status, and becoming financially self‑reliant by 2030. She highlighted AMA’s ongoing work with ratifying Member States to strengthen regulatory systems, streamline joint assessments, and leverage shared expertise.

In her closing remarks,  AU Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, Amb. Amma Twum‑Amoah, framed AMA as a central pillar of Africa’s health and development agenda, stating that “universal ratification, full implementation and sustainable financing of the African Medicines Agency are achievable within this political cycle.”

She described AMA as “a shared continental asset integral to delivering on the African Health Strategy 2030 and Agenda 2063.”

The 39th AU Assembly marked a defining moment for the continent’s efforts to establish a unified medicines regulatory system that ensures safe medical products, advances regional trade and industrialisation, and contributes to a healthier, more prosperous Africa.