The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has launched the Cabinet-approved Ghana Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Policy. The government says the policy will help address a situation in which about 70% of medicines used in the country are imported.
The target forms part of a broader ambition by President John Dramani Mahama to achieve 70% local pharmaceutical self-sufficiency. The government also expects the policy to create thousands of skilled industrial jobs and position Ghana as a pharmaceutical manufacturing hub for West Africa, although it did not specify a timeline for those outcomes in the announcement.
Trade Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare said the policy establishes a coordinated framework covering investment, regulation, public procurement, skills development and regional trade to strengthen domestic manufacturers.
“Medicines are not ordinary goods. A country that cannot produce its own essential medicines leaves its health, economy, and sovereignty vulnerable,” she said.
The policy rests on six pillars, including support for local manufacturers to meet World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practices and prequalification standards, and measures to improve access to public procurement and the National Health Insurance Scheme market for quality locally produced medicines.
READ ALSO
The government also plans to work with Development Bank Ghana, Ghana EXIM Bank and GIPA to provide affordable, long-term financing for pharmaceutical businesses. The announcement did not specify the amount of funding available or the terms under which manufacturers would access it.
Another priority is to move production beyond packaging into active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and vaccines. Such a shift could deepen domestic industrial activity, but would require investment in production capacity, technical expertise and quality systems.
The policy also seeks to strengthen links between universities and industry, develop skills for pharmaceutical manufacturing and use the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Economic Community of West African States to expand exports. The government aims to double pharmaceutical export value but did not provide a baseline or deadline for the target.
Ghana’s ability to achieve its domestic production ambitions will depend on whether local firms can meet quality standards, secure financing and compete on price and reliability with imported medicines. Greater access to public procurement could provide manufacturers with a more predictable market, while regional exports could help them reach the scale needed to support further investment.
The launch brought together representatives from the ministries of health and finance, the Food and Drugs Authority, the National Vaccine Institute, Development Bank Ghana, GIZ, the World Health Organization and the European Union.
The policy sets out the government’s direction for the sector, but the announcement did not detail implementation timelines, measurable investment commitments or how progress toward the 60% domestic market-share target will be monitored.
