Share: March 16, 2021 The Republic of Zimbabwe becomes the nineteenth (19th) African Union (AU) Member State to sign the Treaty for the establishment of the African Medicines Agency (AMA) on 16 March 2021, at the AU Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The AMA treaty was adopted by Heads of States and Government during their 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly on 11 February 2019 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Speaking during the official signing of the Treaty, H.E. Amira Elfadil Mohammed, Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, at the African Union Commission, who received the delegation from Zimbabwe underscored the importance of establishing AMA inorder to improve the production and harmonization of pharmaceutical products on the continent. She noted that the looming COVID-19 pandemic, is an opportunity to accelerate the establishment of AMA and it is a top priority for the Commisision inorder to bridge the gap in pharmaceutical industries. The Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Ethiopia and the African Union H.E. Taonga Mushayavanhu reiterated the importance of AMA in synchronizing the pharmaceutical systems in establishing a mechanism of controlling the counterfeit medicines on the continent. In addition, he made a commitment to swiftly move to the next stage of ratification of the AMA Treaty.