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Published February 28, 2022 / Public health

African Drug Agency Gets Support from European Union and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

20220228-AMA-Funds

Brussels, February 15, 2022 - The European Union (EU) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) are pledging more than €100 million to support the creation of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), ahead of the 6th EU-AU Summit.

Spread over five years, these funds will be used to achieve the public health and safety objectives of the African Union's specialised agency, such as local production of pharmaceuticals and strengthening their regulation.

 

This initiative is part of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD's (AUDA-NEPAD) programme work to build the capacity of drug regulatory agencies and improve health safety on the continent. It also aims to "promote dependent practices, sharing of scientific expertise and more effective and efficient processes.

 

Following the announcement, AUDA-NEPAD's Chief Executive , Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, said, "Africa has taken an important step by establishing the African Medicines Agency as a continental body that will work with RECs and member states to strengthen the regulatory landscape for medical products. This realisation is timely given the urgent need for the continent to meet the demand for quality, safe and effective medical products for its population."

 

This statement also supports the work of the African Medicines Agency Treaty Alliance (AMATA), a group of 55 organisations created by IAPO, to advocate for the ratification and implementation of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) treaty and for meaningful engagement of patients and other stakeholders in all aspects of the agency's framework.

 

The signatory countries of the Lomé Initiative and Brazzaville Foundation welcome the commitment of the EU and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in line with the initiative's programme work plan for 2022-2024. of the initiative. Strengthening institutional partnerships and implementing national plans to combat falsified and substandard medicines are essential to fighting this scourge at the regional and national levels.

 

Find the press releases the European Commission and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.