Ghana FDA chief named first head of African Medicines Agency

RWANDA – Dr. Delese Mimi Darko, the head of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), has been named the first Director-General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA).

Her appointment was made during a meeting held in Rwanda by the agency’s Conference of State Parties (CoSP).

The African Union praised Dr. Darko’s strong background in medicine regulation, calling her highly experienced with a proven record in regulatory work.

Since 2017, she has led Ghana’s FDA and currently chairs the WHO’s African Vaccines Regulatory Forum. She also sits on various national and international committees focused on medicine and health standards.

“The appointment of the Director General is an important step toward the operationalisation of AMA,” stated H.E. Amb. Amma Twum-Amoah, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development of the African Union.

The AMA’s primary goal is to enhance the regulation of medicines across Africa. Twum-Amoah expressed confidence in Dr. Darko’s ability to drive progress by helping countries work together to inspect and approve medical products more efficiently and consistently.

Chad’s Minister of State for Health, Dr. Francine Dekandji, who chairs the Conference of State Parties (CoSP), added that the AMA plays a vital role in making sure medical products in Africa are safe, effective, and meet global quality standards.

The CoSP also selected a new leadership team and approved another member to join the AMA Governing Board, demonstrating continued progress in establishing the agency.

David Reddy, head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), called Dr. Darko’s appointment a big achievement.

He said her skills will help shape the future of medicine regulation in Africa, supporting faster access to safe, quality treatments and fighting fake or low-quality medicines.

Leaders from the Africa Regulatory Network at IFPMA, Bunmi Femi-Oyekan and Zainab Aziz, also congratulated her.

They said AMA’s success under her leadership could help Africa build a stronger, more reliable system for approving medicines and encouraging medical innovation.