This poster was presented at DIA 2026 and examines the development of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), tracing its evolution from the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (AMRH) Programme to its emergence as a continent-wide framework for regulatory cooperation and reliance.
Download the poster to learn more about the historical evolution of AMA and its role in supporting regulatory harmonisation across Africa.
Key topics covered
- The origins of the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonisation (AMRH) Programme and its contribution to continental regulatory cooperation.
- The legal and institutional framework established through the AMA Treaty.
- The roles of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and national regulatory authorities (NRAs) in implementation.
- AMA’s reliance-based regulatory model and approach to regulatory convergence.
- A comparison of the AMA, EMA and FDA regulatory models and their approaches to medicines regulation.
Why this matters
AMA has been established to strengthen regulatory collaboration across the continent while preserving national regulatory authority. By supporting reliance and work-sharing approaches, AMA aims to build regulatory capacity and promote more efficient access to quality-assured medicines across Africa.
Related publication
For readers interested in a more detailed examination of the African Medicines Agency’s origins, development and future prospects, an accompanying journal article is also available: Historical Review of the African Medicines Agency (AMA)
This poster by Alex Ismail was presented at the 2026 DIA Global Annual Meeting, June 2026, Philadelphia, USA.
