The African Medicines Agency (AMA) board has appointed Delese Mimi Darko, a Ghanaian pharmacist and chief executive of Ghana Food and Drugs Authority., as its first Director General. The announcement came during the second Ordinary Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the AMA Treaty, held from June 1 to 3 in Kigali at the AMA headquarters. The African Medicines Agency is a specialized entity of the African Union that is mandated to harmonise medical regulations across the continent. ALSO READ: Rwanda unveils African Medicines Agency headquarters Dr Darko's appointment was unanimously endorsed by member states after a rigorous, merit-based recruitment process led by the AMA Board. According to a post on the Rwandan Ministry of Health’s X account, this appointment represents a major milestone in AMA’s journey to enhance Africa’s capacity to regulate medical products and improve access to safe and effective medicines. ALSO READ: What it means for Rwanda to host the African Medicine Agency The three-day meeting in Kigali gathered health ministers, regulatory officials, and key stakeholders from across Africa under the leadership of the African Union. The session focused on establishing AMA’s governance framework and appointing leadership to drive the agency’s ambitious mandate. In a statement shared on social media, Ghana FDA welcomed Dr Darko’s new role: “Our CEO, Dr. Delese Mimi Darko, is now the 1st Director General of the African Medicines Agency. This is a proud moment for Ghana and Africa.” Dr. Darko is a pharmacist by training with a Master of Business Administration, with over 28 years of experience in medicines regulation. She made history in 2017 as the first female CEO of Ghana FDA. Her leadership earned Ghana’s FDA designation as a Regional Centre of Regulatory Excellence by the African Medicines Regulatory Harmonization initiative (AMRH), covering medicines safety, clinical trials, and drug registration. Dr. Darko chairs the WHO African Vaccines Regulatory Forum and is on multiple international expert committees.
