The Conference of the States Parties (CoSP) to the African Medicines Agency (AMA) Treaty, held its first Extraordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 3 to 4 November 2022. The meeting deliberated and decided on the next steps in the operationalisation phase of the AMA, following the pronouncement of the Agency's headquarters host country in the Republic of Rwanda by the 41st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council.
The Conference of the States Parties convened Ministers of Health and/or their duly designated representatives from seventeen (17) AU Member States. The African Union Commission convened the meeting in collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and African Union Development Agency - The New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD).
In her remarks during the official opening of the session, H.E. Amb. Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development reaffirmed that the Commission remains resolute in its commitment to providing all the necessary support to the States Parties to the AMA Treaty towards the operationalisation of the AMA at its earliest opportunity. "The impact of falsified, counterfeit and sub-standard products on the morbidity and mortality of the African population is concerning. However, the Commission remains optimistic that this menace will soon be a thing of the past with the impressive progress made in operationalising the AMA," noted the Commissioner.
The Chair of the Bureau, Hon. Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health of the Republic of Ghana, in his remarks reiterated the importance of the first extraordinary session towards fulfilling the mandate of the AMA and commended the determination of the CoSP in achieving the envisaged priorities of the Agency.
The Conference of the States Parties adopted modalities and timelines for the appointment of the members of the AMA Governing Board, and further considered the draft terms of reference of the AMA Director General. In accelerating the operationalisation of the African Medicines Agency, the meeting considered the staffing structure/organogram of the AMA and the special contribution by State Parties to the budget of the AMA.
The Conference of the States Parties is set to hold its second Extra-Ordinary Session on the operationalisation of the AMA following the nomination of the members of the AMA Governing board. The operationalisation of the AMA, the continent's second health institution, will contribute to the realisation of Aspiration one (1) of the Agenda 2063 - in achieving health-related targets for a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development and healthy and well-nourished citizens.
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As of 04 November 2022, the AMA Treaty has been ratified by twenty-three (23) Member States who constitute the current CoSP while in total, thirty (30) Member States have signed the AMA Treaty. The 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.
About the African Medicines Agency (AMA)
The African Medicines Agency (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 enhance capacity of State Parties and African Union recognised Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to regulate medical products in order to improve access to quality, safe and efficacious medical products on the continent. AMA shall build on the efforts of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (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 recognised Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Health Organizations (RHOs), to facilitate the harmonisation of regulatory requirements and practice among the national medicines authorities (NMRAs) of the AU Member States. AMA will be the second specialised health agency of the African Union after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
