On 30 September 2021, the Republic of Mauritius became the thirteenth (13th) member state to deposit the instrument of ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA). The country signed the Treaty on 21 September 2021 in Addis Ababa and ratified it the same day in Port Louis, Mauritius.
The Ambassador of Mauritius to Ethiopia and the African Union H.E. Mr Dharmraj Busgeeth deposited the instrument of accession to H.E. Amira Elfadil Mohammed, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, at the AU Commission.
The Commissioner underscored that establishing the AMA was an urgent matter due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “AMA will play an important regulatory role, encourage local production of medical products and align regulatory policies on the continent, taking advantage of the opportunities brought about by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” the Commissioner added.
Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Dharmraj Busgeeth noted that Mauritius is keen to see the establishment of AMA as soon as possible and to contribute to the development of vaccine production facilities on the continent.
Mauritius is keen to see the establishment of AMA as soon as possible and to contribute to the development of vaccine production facilities on the continent
The deposit by Mauritius is in line with the desire of African Heads of States and Governments to avoid the existence of falsified products that pose a risk to public health, harm patients and undermine confidence in healthcare delivery systems.
AMA’s main function will be to enhance the capacity of State Parties and AU recognized Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to regulate medical products in order to improve access to quality, safe and efficacious medical products on the continent. AMA will also promote and advocate for the adoption of the AU Model Law on medical products regulations in State Parties and RECs to facilitate regulatory and legal reforms at continental, regional and national levels.
To date, eighteen (18) member states have ratified the AMA Treaty and thirteen (13) of these have deposited the instruments of ratification to the Commission. The AMA Treaty will enter into Force 30 days upon the deposit of the 15th instrument of ratification at the Commission.
Pending the deposit of the 15th instrument of ratification, the Commission has invited member states to submit proposals for the hosting of the Africa Medicines Agency Headquarters. The Commission has also further extended the deadline for submission of interest to host the AMA up to 15th October 2021, as per the ruling of the Permanent
Representatives Committee (PRC) on 6th September 2021. The Commission expects to have the established AMA in 2022.
The African Union Commission encourages all its Member States to sign and ratify the Treaty for the establishment of AMA in the interest of public health, safety and security. The Treaty is available for signature at the Headquarters of the Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
About the African Medicines Agency (AMA) The AMA Treaty was adopted by Heads of States and Government during their 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly on 11 February 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The African Medicines Agency aspires to provide support for the improvement of weak regulatory systems. AMA shall build on the efforts of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative (2009), which is led by the Africa Union Development Agency – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD). The AMRH initiative provides guidance to AU recognized Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Health Organizations (RHOs), to facilitate harmonization of regulatory requirements and practice among the national medicines authorities (NMRAs) of the AU Member States. AMA will be the second specialized health agency of the African Union after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
