EU and Germany back Ghana's push to become West Africa's pharma powerhouse

The European Union and Germany's Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development have committed €415,437.78 to launch the PharmaVax Programme, a major initiative aimed at overhauling Ghana's pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity. The funding formalises a partnership designed to position Ghana as the primary drug manufacturing hub for West Africa.

The four-pillar programme targets regulatory governance improvements, closer collaboration between government and private sector, attracting foreign investment, and digitising licensing and authorisation processes. The government has set ambitious 2030 targets to dramatically reduce Ghana's dependency on imported medicines and boost local production.

During the announcement, Yaw Sakyi, Director of Administration at the Ministry of Trade and Agribusiness, emphasised the government's determination to build a self-sufficient pharmaceutical landscape. "The pharmaceutical policy will provide the necessary implementation systems for the growth of the industry," he said, thanking the EU and German government for their technical and financial backing.

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Development Unit is preparing strategic interventions to boost "Made in Ghana" medicines internationally. According to its head, Godfred Gobah, the ministry will engage the private sector and participate in local and international events to create new market access opportunities.

Success of the PharmaVax Programme is expected to reduce Ghana's import bill for essential medicines, create skilled manufacturing jobs, and strengthen the nation's capacity to respond to public health emergencies through domestic production.