According to the memorandum of understanding, the continental regulator will use the expertise of the MFA in the field of advocacy and public relations. This will help national regulatory authorities (NRA) to raise awareness among citizens and consolidate efforts to counter the spread of unsafe drugs.
The agreement was signed at a time when African Countries continue to suffer from the widespread distribution of counterfeit and low-quality medicines that reduce the effectiveness of therapy, endanger the lives of patients and undermine confidence in health systems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in low- and middle-income countries, about one in ten medical products is counterfeit or substandard, putting millions of people at risk due to ineffective or dangerous treatment.
The head of the AMA, Mimi Darko Delaunay, stressed that the key factor in overcoming this problem is the intensification of interaction between control structures and public institutions. «The mission of the African Medicines Agency is to develop regulatory partnerships and ensure universal access to safe, high-quality and effective medicines across the continent». The proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medicines is becoming possible due to fragmented supply chains and insufficient oversight. By strengthening coordination at the pan-African level, unifying anti-counterfeiting rules and implementing citizen awareness strategies implemented by the MFA, it will be possible to convert modern control standards into real protection of patient health and restoration of public confidence in pharmaceutical products.
The ministry stressed that the lack of consistency in supplies and gaps in regulatory control create conditions for the uncontrolled penetration of counterfeits into African markets, which poses a threat of serious complications or death to the population.
According to the agreements reached, AMA and MFA will join forces in conducting information campaigns aimed at educating citizens about the quality criteria of medicines, while at the same time assisting national authorities in curbing the trafficking of unsafe goods. Lenias Hwenda, founder and Head of Medicines for Africa, noted that this collaboration demonstrates a common position on the priority of protecting patients' lives in Africa's pharmaceutical policy. «This collaboration confirms our shared determination to make consumer safety a central element of the African medicines agenda».
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