African Medicines Agency partners with Medicines for Africa to strengthen fight against fake medicines

What the report says

The Independent Uganda reports that the African Medicines Agency (AMA) has entered a partnership with Medicines for Africa (MFA) to improve advocacy and public communication against substandard and falsified medicines across Africa. The memorandum of understanding was signed on July 16, according to the report published July 18 from Kampala by Patricia Akankwatsa.

Under the agreement, AMA is expected to use MFA’s communications and advocacy experience to help National Regulatory Authorities raise awareness about medicine quality and strengthen efforts to keep unsafe products from reaching patients. The Independent said the partners plan joint public engagement and communication initiatives focused on the risks posed by poor-quality and falsified medical products.

The report cited World Health Organization estimates that about one in 10 medical products in low- and middle-income countries is substandard or falsified. It also said such products can weaken treatment results, endanger patients and reduce trust in health systems, especially where supply chains are fragmented or regulatory oversight is uneven.

AMA Director-General Dr Delese Mimi Darko said cooperation between regulators and advocacy groups is important to improving access to safe and effective medical products, while MFA founder and chief executive Dr Lenias Hwenda said the partnership places patient safety at the centre of Africa’s medicines agenda. More broadly, the initiative reflects continuing efforts to coordinate medicines regulation across the continent, where national regulators often face cross-border supply and enforcement challenges.