The African Medicines Agency (AMA) and Medicines for Africa (MFA) have entered into a strategic partnership to strengthen Africa's response to substandard and falsified medical products, reinforcing efforts to protect patients and improve confidence in healthcare systems across the continent.

The collaboration, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Kigali, Rwanda, will focus on strengthening advocacy and communication initiatives to support National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) in preventing the circulation of unsafe medical products.

Under the agreement, AMA will draw on MFA's expertise in advocacy and public engagement to complement regulatory efforts aimed at improving awareness of the risks posed by substandard and falsified medicines. The partnership is intended to enhance collaboration between regulators, policymakers, healthcare providers and the public while promoting the use of safe, quality and effective medical products.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, AMA Director-General Dr Delese Mimi Darko said the partnership aligns with the agency's mandate to strengthen regulatory cooperation and improve access to quality-assured medical products across Africa. She noted that fragmented supply chains and inconsistent regulatory oversight continue to create opportunities for substandard and falsified products to enter the market, underscoring the need for stronger advocacy and public engagement alongside regulatory action.

The World Health Organization estimates that around one in ten medical products circulating in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified. These products can lead to treatment failure, antimicrobial resistance, preventable illness and death, while also undermining public confidence in health systems.

MFA Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr Lenias Hwenda said the partnership places patient safety at the centre of Africa's medicines agenda. He noted that the two organizations will jointly implement advocacy and communication programmes designed to reduce the circulation of unsafe medical products and strengthen public awareness across the continent.

As the first initiative under the partnership, AMA and MFA will jointly host the Africa Patient Safety Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, on 16–17 September 2026. The summit will bring together governments, medicines regulators, healthcare institutions, pharmaceutical industry representatives, researchers, innovators and development partners to advance coordinated action on patient safety and strengthen efforts to eliminate substandard and falsified medical products in Africa.