The norms and standards for medical products quality and safety are becoming more and more sophisticated. Substandard and counterfeit pharmaceutical products are being reported from all over the world but the problem still remains high in sub-saharan Africa, which has insufficient funds for medicines procurement, and fewer resources to enforce quality standards and to protect the medicines supply chain.

The NEPAD Agency in collaboration  with African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) Programme partners and the East African Community (EAC) hosted today a Donors Roundtable to discuss support for medicines registration harmonisation as a key aspect of improving medicines access in Africa at a time many sub-Saharan countries are struggling to streamline medicines registration processes and systems.  “Today more than ever, Africa needs proper regulations of medical and health care products as well as effective health care delivery systems that are responsive to current and emerging health challenges and reduce the amount of avoidable deaths,” stated Prof. Agrey Ambali in his remarks. 

Prof Aggrey Ambali, Head and Advisor of NEPAD Science, Technology and Innovation Hub

Meeting participants singing the EAC anthem

The meeting sought to demonstrate the value of investing in the AMRH Programme as a strategic platform for transformation of regulatory landscape in Africa, to mobilise domestic funding and  identify additional donors to fund African Regional Economic Communities’ (REC) plans.The AMRH programmes are aimed at expediting and strengthening medicines registration through regional harmonisation and collaboration.

EAC Secretariat Deputy Secretary General during her remarks

“70% of medicines sold in EAC are imported. Today we are here to ensure that Africa has up to standard manufacturers that can provide safe and efficacious medicines” said Mrs Jessica Erio, Deputy Secretary General of the EAC Secretariat.

The AMRH initiative is a collaborative programme implemented through a partnership of World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the NEPAD Agency.  It aims to improve access to quality and safe drugs for African citizens, by promoting the harmonisation of medicines regulations among African countries through Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

EAC Secretariat Deputy Secretary General, Hon. James W. Macharia, Cabinet Secretary for Health of the Republic of Kenya and Chairperson of the EAC and Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health and Representing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Dan Hartman

 Representing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Dan Hartman applauded the progress made by the AMRH programme and called for renewed effort from African States and donors, “the impact of the AMRH Programme cannot be sustained without the buy-in of everyone”.

Participants during the roundtable

Building on the gains made in the AMRH pilot project in the East Africa Community (EAC), which was launched in March 2012 in Tanzania, it is estimated that USD 4 million per year per region is needed to roll out the implementation to other Regional Economic Communities, starting with Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community for West Africa States (ECOWAS) in 2014-2015 and Central and North Africa in 2015-2016.

Equally, the programme benefited tremendously from participants’ insights and suggestions which will help guide and shape the programme.

In light of the Ebola epidemic, Ministers, donor agencies, parliamentarians and representatives of member States acknowledged that this is a critical time for Africa to invest in its health system and reaffirmed their commitment in providing financial and technical support to the AMRH Programme.