12 August 2021. The Republic of Niger becomes the eleventh(11th) Member State to deposit the instrument of ratification of the African Medicines Agency (AMA). The Republic of Niger ratified the Treaty for the establishment of AMA on 21 June 2021 in Niamey, Niger and deposited the instrument of accession, to the Commission of the African Union (AU) on 12 August 2021 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ms. Angela Martins, Officer-in-Charge, Sports and Culture Directorate, in the Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development received the instrument from the Niger delegation.

Speaking during the official deposit, Amb. Zakariaou Adam Maiga, the Ambassador of the Republic of Niger to Ethiopia and the African Union underscored the need to avert the sub-standard and falsified medicines and medical products on the continent particularly during this time when the continent is facing a pandemic. He further commited that the Republic of Niger will support advocacy for the ratification of the AMA Treaty by Member States in the region, and beyond.

The ratification and deposit of the instrument follows a high-level advocacy engagement between H.E President Bazoum Mohamed of the Republic of Niger and H.E Ouhoumoudou Mahamad Prime minister of the Republic of Niger with Honourable Michel Sidibé the African Union Special Envoy for the AMA on 18 June, 2021 in Niamey, Niger.
The AMA Treaty was adopted by Heads of States and Government during their 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly on 11 February 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The African Medicines Agency aspires to provide support for the improvement of weak regulatory systems. AMA shall build on the efforts of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) initiative (2009), which is led by the Africa Union Development Agency - the New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD). The AMRH inititiave provides guidance to AU recognized Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Health Organizations (RHOs), to facilitate harmonization of regulatory requirements and practice among the national medicines authorities (NMRAs) of the AU Member States.

AMA will be the second specialized health agency of the African Union after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The agency will among other functions promote the use of quality assured, safe and efficacious medical products. AMA will also examine, discuss and/or express regulatory guidance on any regulatory matter within its mandate, either on its own initiative or at the request of the African Union, RECs or State Parties. The agency will also provide guidance on regulation of traditional medical products and proviside advice on the marketing authorization application process for the priority drugs described by the States Parties or on the products proposed by the pharmaceiutical laboratories.

Fifteen (15) member states have ratified the AMA Treaty. The AMA Treaty will enter into Force 30 days upon the deposit of the 15th instrument of ratification at the Commission.The African Union Commission encourages all its Member States to sign and ratify the Treaty for the establishment of AMA in the interest of public health, safety and security. The Treaty is available for signature at the Headquarters of the Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Further information should be directed to:

1. Office of the Legal Counsel of the African Union Commission
2. Dr. Margaret Agama-Anyetei, Ag. Director of Health and Humanitarian Affairs Directorate; Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, AU Commission; Tel: +251115182211; E-mail: Agama-AnyeteiM@africa-union.org

For further media inquiries, please contact:
1. Ms. Dorothy Njagi | Strategic Communication Expert, Directorate of Health and Humanitarian Affairs | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development,, African Union Commission | Mobile: +251940559950 | E-mail: njagid@africa-union.org

For further information contact:

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission
E-mail: dic@africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

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