Rwanda inks deal with AU to host AMA headquarters

Rwanda is the house of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) after the Eastern African country signed Saturday an agreement with the African Union (AU).
Minata Samate Cessouma, the AU’s Commissioner for health, humanitarian affairs and social development, and Sabin Nsanzimana, Rwanda’s Health minister penned the deal in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.
“AMA will play a key role in building confidence in the quality of health products on the continent, promote cooperation and mutual recognition in regulatory decisions and facilitate the movement of health products,” Nsanzimana stated.
For Nsanzimana the agreement constitutes another step toward turning ideals into reality. Rwanda also argues that the Agency will enhance coordination among regulators, increase access to medications, facilitate pandemic preparedness, and create resilient health systems.
The AU in 2019 approved a treaty to create an African Medicines Agency. The treaty went into effect in late 2021. AMA is tasked to increase access to medical goods that are reliable, efficient, cost-effective, and of high quality throughout African nations.
Several other African countries including Egypt and Tunisia had sought to host the Agency’s headquarters.