and Regional Health Organisations. The AMA will build upon closer regional integration, which has already served to reduce drug prices and the time needed for regulatory approval. The ARMH worked through RECs, and it has been suggested that these regional bodies become technical working groups within the AMA. Countries who have signed and ratified the agreement will be asked to bid to host its headquarters. Medical products that would be covered include drugs, vaccines, medical devices, blood products, diagnostic tools, and traditional medicine. It is expected the body would work closely with the existing Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The AMU is viewed as important due to the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is expected to develop into the African Economic Community by 2028. Regional regulatory harmonisation within the East African Community, developed under the AMRH, was based on a free trade agreement within that grouping. Status The Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency came into effect on 5 November 2021 after the ratification of 15 countries. As of October 2022, 33 out of the 55 Members of the African Union have either signed or ratified the treaty. Signatures Rwanda – 12 June 2019 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic – 7 July 2019 Algeria – 7 July 2019 Madagascar - 1 August 2019 Ghana – 2 August 2019 Mali – 29 October 2019 Benin – 3 December 2019 Tunisia – 19 December 2019 Morocco – 22 December 2019 Senegal – 9 January 2020 Chad – 24 January 2020 Guinea – 7 February 2020 Seychelles – 9 February 2020 Niger – 9 February 2020 Sierra Leone – 10 February 2020 Gabon – 20 April 2020 etc. Ratification Rwanda – 18 December 2019 ratified, 6 January 2020 deposited Mali – 9 April 2020 ratified, 2 June 2020 deposited Burkina Faso – 14 April 2020; 9 July 2020 deposited Seychelles – 13 August 2020; 23 November 2020 deposited Namibia – 19 January 2021 ratified; 18 February 2021 deposited Ghana – 24 February 2021; 16 March 2021 deposited Guinea – 21 April 2021 ratified; 7 May 2021 deposited Sierra Leone – 28 May 2021 ratified; 14 June 2021 deposited Algeria – 10 June 2021 ratified; 22 June 2021 deposited Tunisia – 14 July 2021 ratified Morocco - 6 July 2020 etc. References External links Treaty for the Establishment of the African Medicines Agency Press Release Nº10/32nd