By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The African Medicines Agency
(AMA) has identified greater reliance on harmonised medicines regulation as a
key next step toward reducing market fragmentation and unlocking health
investment across Africa.
AMA Director General Dr.
Delese Mimi Darko made the remarks at UNGA81 in New York, where she met key
stakeholders and partners at the High-Level Strategy Circle convened by AUDA
NEPAD to discuss financing Africa's health sovereignty amid shifts in the global
health financing landscape.
“At the African Medicines
Agency, our emphasis is that medicines regulation is one of the critical pieces
of infrastructure for health investment in Africa. Investors can only call a
market viable if there is an efficient, effective pathway to reach it.”
Dr. Darko said Africa still
faces a fragmented medicines market, with countries operating as separate
markets and the fragmentation carrying an economic cost.
“Today, Africa can still
feel like many separate markets, and that fragmentation carries a real economic
cost,” she said.
She pointed to progress made
through the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (AMRH) initiative under
AUDA-NEPAD, saying the initiative has delivered significant progress on
harmonisation.
“The next step is reliance,”
Dr. Darko said.
The comments come as African
countries and health-sector stakeholders consider how to strengthen health
sovereignty and attract investment at a time when the global health financing
landscape is shifting.
