TIME Magazine’s 2026 TIME100 Health list recognizes Dr. Delese Mimi Darko as one of the world’s most influential leaders in health. Her achievement: “Building a unified medicines agency for Africa.”

Dr. Darko’s story began in the early 1990s as a young pharmacist at Ghana’s Food and Drugs Board. Over thirty years, she worked through every department, mastering pharmaceutical regulation from the ground up.

In 2017, she became the first woman appointed CEO of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority. Under her leadership, Ghana’s FDA achieved something remarkable. In 2020, it became only the second regulatory authority in Africa to reach WHO Maturity Level 3 status, meeting international standards for quality, safety, and efficacy.

Ghana became a model for the continent. But Dr. Darko knew excellence in one country wasn’t enough.

A Fragmented Continent Gets Its First Unified Regulator

Africa’s pharmaceutical landscape has long been fragmented, 55 countries with different standards, different approval processes, different capacity levels. This delays access to life-saving medicines, enables counterfeit products, and leaves the continent vulnerable during health emergencies.

The African Union established the African Medicines Agency in 2021 to harmonize regulatory systems, combat counterfeits, support local manufacturing, and coordinate emergency responses across the continent.

In June 2025, after reviewing 149 applications, they announced their choice for inaugural Director General: Dr. Delese Mimi Darko.

Harmonizing Standards for 1.4 Billion People

Dr. Darko is now building the regulatory infrastructure to serve Africa’s 1.4 billion people, harmonized standards that allow medicines to move across borders, stronger oversight against counterfeits, support for local pharmaceutical production, and coordinated response capabilities for the next health crisis.

Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah of the African Union emphasized that the AMA would foster a harmonized approach to benefit all African citizens. David Reddy of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Producers called Dr. Darko’s experience “invaluable in shaping the future of medicine regulation in Africa.”

Dr. Nanthalile Mugala of PATH described her appointment as “a historic milestone” and “a testament to Africa’s growing capacity to lead its health transformation.”

African Leadership Takes Center Stage

Dr. Darko’s TIME100 Health recognition places her alongside CRISPR pioneers, cancer researchers, and pharmaceutical CEOs reshaping global health. This shows that African leadership in global health infrastructure is welcome and essential.

Throughout her career, she’s served on the WHO R&D Blueprint’s Scientific Advisory Group, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and currently chairs the WHO African Vaccines Regulatory Forum. She’s received numerous awards including Ghana Women of the Year Honours for excellence in health and Best Public Sector CEO at the African Public Sector Conference.

The Work Ahead

The African Medicines Agency is still in its early phase. Building harmonized regulatory systems across 55 member states will take years of sustained effort. But Dr. Darko has spent three decades preparing for exactly this moment.

Her TIME100 recognition is about the future she’s building.