Dr. Ali El-Ghamrawy, Chairman of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), participated in the proceedings of the First Forum of Heads of National Regulatory Authorities, held under the auspices of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
The forum was convened as part of ongoing efforts to develop a sustainable strategy for the regulation of medical products across the African continent, and was attended by Counselor Ahmed Azzam, representative of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The significance of the forum stems from the fact that it represents the first initiative to bring together all heads of national regulatory authorities in Africa, including countries that are not signatories to the African Medicines Agency Treaty. This step aims to establish the forum as an annual platform for coordinating pharmaceutical policies and regulatory frameworks at the continental level.

On the sidelines of the forum, Dr. El-Ghamrawy paid an official visit to the headquarters of the African Medicines Agency in Kigali, where he reviewed the Agency’s operational mechanisms and discussed avenues for enhancing technical cooperation and exchanging regulatory expertise. These efforts support African pharmaceutical integration and contribute to strengthening regulatory systems across the continent.

It is noteworthy that the convening of the forum comes at a critical juncture, coinciding with the foundational phase of the African Medicines Agency. The Agency plays a pivotal role in supporting the localization of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa, evaluating medical products for priority diseases, and regulating clinical trial reviews for medicines and complex vaccines, including biosimilars.

The African Medicines Agency also works to coordinate inspection activities, facilitate the exchange of information among member states, harmonize regulatory standards and guidelines, and develop strategic plans that will shape the pharmaceutical regulatory environment in Africa in the coming years.
This participation reflects the Egyptian Drug Authority’s commitment to its leading role in supporting joint cooperation and strengthening pharmaceutical regulatory capacities across Africa, in light of Egypt’s leadership as the first regulatory authority on the continent to achieve World Health Organization Maturity Level 3 for both locally produced medicines and vaccines. This achievement contributes to enhancing the availability of safe, effective, and high-quality medical products for the peoples of Africa.