Dr. Delese Mimi Darko
The Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Dr. Delese Mimi Darko has received the prestigious “Africa’s Medical Products Regulation Achievers Award” at the 6th Biennial Scientific Conference on Medical Products Regulation in Cairo, Egypt in 2023.
This recognition not only celebrates her dedication to the Authority’s commitment to becoming a global center of regulatory excellence but also positions the Authority as a formidable leader on the African continent.
The conference was organized by AUDA-NEPAD and WHO at the end of 2023 in Cairo, Egypt under the theme “Strengthening regulatory systems for the advancement of local production and increased access to medical products and technologies for Africans” and convened over 300 policymakers and other stakeholders across the African continent to share scientific advances and current best practices in regulatory science disciplines.
The conference also provided a forum to discuss strategies to strengthen regulatory systems, improve access to affordable essential medical products, vaccines, and technologies, and catalyze local production of medical products in Africa.
The award acknowledges FDA Ghana as the pioneering NRA to create a Partnerships and International Collaboration Department which is to engage in partnerships with other NRAs, key stakeholders in medicines regulation, development partners, as well as academia.
Since the creation of the Department, the Authority has trained over 221 regulators and researchers across the continent from 20 countries, including The Gambia, Senegal, Gabon, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Tanzania, Uganda, Guinea, Rwanda, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, South Africa, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Eswatini, and Botswana.
Additionally, the Authority has contributed to strengthening the regulatory systems of several NRAs across the continent through study tours, mentorship twinning programmes, and customized expert visits.
Lastly, the Authority has signed a few Memorandums of Understanding with 6 NRAs mapping out several areas of collaboration and is currently actively engaged with five other NRAs, including El Salvador and Madagascar, in the pipeline.
The CEO’s transformative leadership, which contributed to the award, has elevated standards within the Authority while catalysing positive change and advancements in medical product regulation across Africa.
-BY Daniel Bampoe