Dr. Delese Mimi Darko, Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of Ghana, has been elected as the first-ever Director-General of the African Medicines Agency (AMA).

The historic election took place at the 2nd Ordinary Session of the Conference of State Parties currently underway in Kigali, Rwanda.

Dr. Darko’s election follows a highly competitive selection process that began in January 2025, attracting 149 applications from across the continent.

Her emergence as the top candidate marks a significant milestone for Ghana and for the continent’s efforts to strengthen the regulation and oversight of medical products and health technologies.

Her appointment has been widely celebrated in Ghana and across Africa.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudjeto-Ablakwa congratulated Dr. Darko and “Team Ghana” for what they described as an incredibly successful campaign.

Special praise was also reserved for President John Dramani Mahama, who was commended for his strong leadership and unwavering support throughout the process.

Dr. Darko is now set to relocate to Rwanda, where she will assume leadership of the AMA — a key African Union body tasked with harmonising medicine regulation across member states to ensure access to safe, effective, and quality-assured medical products.