By:
Robert Kwaku Annor
The African Medicines Agency
(AMA) has called for stronger regulatory harmonisation across Africa to ensure
that quality-assured vaccines, medicines and diagnostics reach populations
quickly during infectious disease outbreaks and other health emergencies.
The Agency's Technical
Officer, Alex Juma Ismail, made the call during a panel discussion titled
“China and Africa Working Together to Strengthen the Line of Defence” at the
China-Africa Health Forum, which focused on building a new line of defence
against infectious diseases through joint efforts between China and Africa.
Addressing how to balance
rigorous continental assessments with the need for timely emergency access to
medical products, Ismail emphasised that harmonisation and speed should not be
treated as competing priorities.
His message on behalf of the
AMA was that when regulators harmonise requirements and rely on one another's
trusted scientific assessments, they can optimise their expertise and
accelerate access to quality-assured medical products for people who need them
most.
He further stressed the
importance of reinforcing African-led regulatory systems rather than
establishing parallel structures, noting that sustainable emergency
preparedness requires regulatory cooperation that extends beyond individual
disease outbreaks.
The discussions highlighted
the importance of collaboration among regulatory and public health institutions
in strengthening Africa's capacity to respond to infectious disease threats.
