By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The African Medicines Agency
(AMA) and the Association Africaine des Centrales d'Achats de Médicaments
Essentiels (ACAME) are exploring areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening
the regulation, quality assurance and access to medical products across Africa.
The discussions took place
at the AMA headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda, during a meeting between AMA
Director General Dr. Delese Mimi Darko and ACAME Executive Director Aser
Minoungou.
ACAME operates across 22
African countries and has supported its members in the procurement of
pharmaceutical products, contributing to timely access to essential medicines.
Its work complements the AMA's continental mandate to strengthen regulatory
systems and promote access to quality-assured medical products.
The AMA is advancing its
regulatory mandate through collaboration with the Network of Heads of African
National Regulatory Agencies, Regional Economic Communities Coordinators
Network, Network of African Reliance Agencies and Network of African Reliance Labs.
A key area currently being
advanced by the agency is the establishment of a continental quality assurance
mechanism for the procurement of priority medical products, including maternal
and child health products.
The mechanism is also
expected to strengthen safety and quality monitoring and support the detection
of substandard and falsified medical products.
