The African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization (AMRH) week known as the “AMRH Week” stems from more than a decade’s leveraging on investments made in regulatory systems strengthening (RSS) and harmonization efforts in Africa. National Governments have been regulating medical products with a view to promote and protect public health against hazards associated with use of substandard and falsified (SF) medical products. 

The AMRH initiative has entered into a review phase since February 2017, assessing past performance and exploring strategies to galvanise the momentum and ensure financial sustainability and ownership. This provides an opportunity for partners and stakeholders to take-stock of the work of AMRH on the continent and reflect on the past decade of implementation, as well as align expectations going forward to ensure that AMRH work becomes more sustainable, and to strengthen coordination and collaboration in the medicines regulatory space. 

The ‘AMRH Week’ for 2018 will therefore be officially launched  in Kigali, Rwanda under the able leadership of H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and   African Union (AU) Chairperson, in collaboration with AUC Commissioner of Social Affairs and the Chief Executive Officer of NEPAD Agency.

The event which will bring together partners and stakeholders, will highlight the current status of AMRH, review its form and shape with a view to re-energize the on-going alignment of work in the medical products regulatory space.

Specifically, AMRH Week will focus on on-going work around alignment arrangements of different partners, stakeholders, networks and similar initiatives towards the AMRH. This is a critical step towards harmonization and eventual establishment of AMA. In addition, the week-long event will serve as a platform for further consultation and discussion on strategic direction that the AMRH Initiative should be taking, as well mechanisms for better coordination of RSS and harmonization efforts in Africa that will foster ownership, collective responsibility and mutual accountability.

The launch of ‘AMRH Week’ in Kigali is an opportune platform to convene the EAC Heads of NMRA Forum; the RECs Secretariats responsible for coordination of regional programmes; the EAC MRH Program Steering Committee meeting; the PAHWP as a continental Technical Working Group; the AMRH PP; and the AMRH Steering Committee meeting on medical products regulatory systems strengthening and harmonization initiatives in Africa.