Kenya has secured two positions on key technical committees of the African Medicines Agency (AMA), strengthening its influence in shaping medicines regulation, clinical trials oversight and access to safe medical products across the continent.
The appointments by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) were announced during the agency’s inaugural week in Kigali, Rwanda, held under the theme, ‘Building Africa’s Regulatory Future Together: From National Strength to Continental Impact’.
While Dr Ali Abdulahi Arale, Acting Director of Medical Products and Health Technologies at PPB, has been appointed to the Technical Committee on Evaluation of Medicines, Vaccines and Biologicals, Dr Edward Abwao will serve on the Technical Committee on Clinical Trials Oversight and Good Clinical Practice, where he was also elected chairperson.
The appointments give Kenya a role in providing scientific and regulatory guidance on the assessment of medical products and the oversight of clinical research across African countries.
The committees are expected to support efforts to harmonise regulatory standards, strengthen national regulatory authorities and improve the coordination of medicines approval processes across the continent.
Dr Arale brings more than 25 years of professional experience, including 15 years in medicines regulation. His expertise covers the assessment of medicines and vaccines, regulatory inspections and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
He has also been involved in health product registration, regulatory reliance, joint scientific reviews, capacity building and emergency use authorisation.
Dr Abwao has more than 22 years of experience in medicines regulation and has contributed to the development and establishment of Kenya’s clinical trials regulatory framework.
His areas of expertise include clinical trials oversight, post-marketing surveillance, pharmacovigilance and regulatory systems strengthening.
Established under the African Medicines Agency Treaty, AMA was created to strengthen the regulation of medical products and promote cooperation among African countries.
Its technical committees provide independent scientific advice on the evaluation of medicines, vaccines, biological products and diagnostics, as well as clinical trials oversight.
The agency's work is aimed at addressing regulatory fragmentation across African countries, where differences in approval processes and regulatory capacity can affect the availability of quality-assured medical products.
Through coordinated scientific assessments and harmonised standards, the agency seeks to strengthen regulatory systems and support timely access to safe, effective and quality medical products.
The two PPB officials will serve initial two-year terms, during which they are expected to contribute their technical expertise to the agency's continental regulatory agenda.
