Ghana targets reduced medicine imports under new pharmaceutical policy

Presidential Coordinator for the Ghana Pharmaceutical Hub, Dr. Bernice Makafui Brempong, says Ghana must increasingly produce the medicines its citizens need to strengthen health security and reduce import dependence.

Speaking at the launch of the Ghana Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Policy on Wednesday, October 28, Dr. Brempong said demand for safe, effective and affordable medicines will rise as government expands primary healthcare and strengthens its response to non-communicable diseases through Mahama Cares.

She described Cabinet approval of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Policy as an important milestone in building a strong, competitive and sustainable pharmaceutical industry.

The policy provides a strategic framework to address challenges around finance, infrastructure, raw materials, skills and investment incentives.

Dr. Brempong said the achievement is central to President John Dramani Mahama's vision of positioning Ghana as Africa's pharmaceutical manufacturing hub.

She noted that while financial support was given to local companies in his first term, experience shows that alone cannot sustain competitiveness.

According to her, the new approach under the President's second term is to build a full ecosystem for manufacturers to thrive.

"Manufacturers need reliable infrastructure, skilled professionals, access to markets, strong regulatory systems and a predictable business environment.

This is the thinking behind the Ghana Pharmaceutical Hub, a presidential national legacy initiative under the new economy programme," she said.

She explained that the Hub operationalises Section 7.7 of the policy on industrial parks and special economic zones by bringing together manufacturers, input suppliers, research and testing facilities and shared infrastructure to translate policy into investment, production and jobs.

Dr. Brempong announced that Phase 2 of the Hub will be sited in the Central Region and will focus on active pharmaceutical ingredients, herbal and plant-based medicines, raw materials, packaging, and a centre for bioavailability and bioequivalence studies.

It will also produce excipients such as pharmaceutical-grade corn starch, corn syrup and ethyl alcohol to link agriculture to pharmaceutical manufacturing.

She said the Hub will promote contract manufacturing through shared facilities for companies that cannot afford their own plants, and will create pathways for Ghana's about 1,600 unemployed pharmacists to move into industrial pharmacy.

Reducing import dependence where feasible, she said, will boost health security, create jobs and retain economic value in Ghana, while local production must meet the highest quality, safety and efficacy standards.

On implementation, Dr. Brempong said success will be measured by factories established, investments attracted, medicines produced, jobs created and competitiveness of local manufacturers.

She called on pharmaceutical companies, financial institutions, healthcare institutions and development partners to collaborate.

"What we are building goes beyond the production of medicines. We are building an industry capable of creating employment, attracting investment, advancing innovation and strengthening Ghana's healthcare system," she said.

She urged a shift to action: "Let us move from policy to implementation, from ambition to investment, and from dependence to greater domestic productive capacity. Together, we can build a pharmaceutical industry that creates opportunities for our people, strengthens our health security and makes Ghana proud."