May 24, 2021
By Mohamed M. Sesay
Honorable Members of the Fourth Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone have ratified an agreement entitled: “Treaty for the establishment of the African Medicine Agency. The legislation will now ensure African’s independency on other international regulatory bodies to determine what is best for Africa in terms of Medicines, Vaccines and other health products.
Explaining the importance of the agreement, the Minister of Health and Sanitation Dr. Austin Demby informed Members of Parliament that the agreement on the African Medicine Agency will now ensure easy and affordable access to essential medicines on the continent. He added that the African Medicine Agency is indeed a cornerstone for establishing a sustainable and quality health system in Africa. The initiative has the potential to expose the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) through collaborative effort between the West Africa Health Organization (WAHO), and the West African Economical Monitoring Union in showcasing what is best for the region in medical products.
Dr. Demby further stated that the substances of these regional medicines regulating harmonization initiative in Africa, serves as an evidence of the increasing need for an umbrella agency that will fully harness the combined potential of all these bodies into a formidable continent to enforce regulatory agencies and manufacturers outside of Africa. He said the development will make Africa a force to reckon with.
He noted that Africans will no longer have to depend on other international regulatory bodies in determining what is best for Africa in medicines and medical products.
Dr. Austin Demby emphasized that the African Medicine Agency will also ensure that Member States and their international partners investing in regional initiatives as well as country level activities, give optimum value for the investment. He said this could be achieved through effective coordination of initiatives and activities by safeguarding the medicines regulating space in Africa.
“I strongly believe that it is about time that we in Africa stand up for ourselves in determining what medicines and vaccines are best for us, rather than relying on others to determine what we get, when we get them, and in what quantity we get them. The current covid-19 pandemic and the challenges of accessing and or developing our own vaccines and medicines also reminds us of the urgency of ratifying the African Medicine Agency Treaty. On that note Mr. Speaker, I ask that this august house favorably consider the ratification of this Treaty on the African Medicine Agency that is before you for consideration”, he appealed.
A member of the main opposition APC Party of constituency 050 Tonkolili District Hassan A. Sesay confessed that the initiative behind the agreement is very good. He added that the country has been complaining about substandard drugs being imported into the country and expressed hope that with the collective idea of African Countries coming together the problem will be resolved.
He further indicated that with the newly ratified Agreement on African Medicine Agency will now create the platform to incorporate traditional medicines with modern medicines.
He said they appreciated the effort in bringing such agreement to Parliament, stressing that the government must put the requisite infrastructure in place to ensure efficient service delivery.
He observed that talking about the agreement on paper is very fine and easy but when it comes to the aspect of domesticating the agreement, the medical practitioners must be giving the required training so that the document or the Treaty can be domesticated properly in the country. He concluded that for Africa Union to have taken such initiative proves that the Africa Union is thinking about the welfare of Africa people they are serving and therefore, affirmed his party’s strongest support toward the agreement.
On his part, the Leader of Government Business Hon. Sahr Mathew Nyuma acknowledged that the agreement on the Africa Medicine Agency is a very good move which will help the continent to strengthen the health system. He added that the Treaty will also ensure that Sierra Leone and African Continent by extension, have a quality control measures for the prevention of substandard drugs in the country.
He continued that the safety and the efficacious medical health product are very fundamental for the health and safety of African Population which is the more reason why they as Members of Parliament came together to have that Treaty ratified. He concluded that the objective of the African Medicine Agency (AMA) is to enhance capacity of Member States and the Regional Economic Community to regulate medical product in order to improve access to quality, safe and efficacious medical products for the continent.