Tanzania signs Treaty for Establishment of African Medicines Agency

ADDIS ABABA – Tanzania became the twenty-second African Union (AU) member state to sign the Treaty for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) on 10 August 2021, at the AU Commission in Addis Ababa, the pan African bloc announces.

The announcement came after Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission, spoke with Liberata Mulamula, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tanzania, on Wednesday.

Nsanzabaganwa noted that Tanzania has been a key leader in supporting the efforts of the Commission and the East African Community, in the harmonization of regulatory policies.

“The current pandemic has reinforced the need for the continent to have very strong continental health institutions and the AMA working in tandem with the African CDC will be the key to collectively address the continental health challenges,” she added.

She encouraged Tanzania to move to the next step of ratifying the Treaty for the establishment of the agency.

Mulamula too said the establishment of the AMA Agency is very timely particularly during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“The United Republic of Tanzania was determined to sign the Treaty establishing AMA in order to mitigate the challenge of combating falsified medical products at regional level,” she said, encouraging other Member States that have not signed the Treaty to do so at the earliest.

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.

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 AU Development Agency – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).

 

Featured Image: People lining up for medicine in Pharmacy in Tanzania [Photo WHO]