The Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry has secured a €415,437.78 grant from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development to support the rollout of the PharmaVax Programme, a policy initiative to “transform Ghana’s pharmaceutical sector” and strengthen the country’s industrial capacity in vaccine and medicine production.
The Ministry says the funding will support targeted reforms to improve governance, investment coordination, and market access within the pharmaceutical value chain as Ghana positions itself as a regional manufacturing base. Officials indicate the programme is designed to reinforce institutional systems required for long-term sector growth while improving the country’s attractiveness for pharmaceutical investment.
At a stakeholder engagement held in Accra, the Director of Administration at the Ministry, Mr. Yaw Sakyi, speaking on behalf of the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said government remains committed to “making Ghana the pharmaceutical manufacturing hub in the sub-region,” adding that ongoing policy reforms are intended to provide “necessary implementation systems” to support industry expansion.
He further acknowledged the support of development partners, noting the grant amount of €415,437.78, which will be channelled into programme implementation activities under the PharmaVax framework.
According to the Ministry, the programme is structured around four core pillars, including “strengthening governance institutions within the pharmaceutical sector,” improving structured engagement between public and private actors, enhancing conditions for foreign direct investment and trade, and promoting greater transparency in investment approvals and authorisation processes.
The Head of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Development Unit, Mr. Godfred Gobah, also indicated that the Ministry will intensify private sector engagement alongside participation in local and international platforms to “increase the visibility of Ghana’s pharmaceutical industry” and expand access to new markets for domestic producers.
The Ministry expects the programme to contribute to medium- and long-term targets towards 2030, including efforts to double pharmaceutical export value within the ECOWAS market and increase the domestic market share of locally produced medicines from 30 percent to 60 percent.
Working with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Ghana, the European Union, and other stakeholders, the Ministry says it is seeking to establish a “robust ecosystem” to support sustained growth, improved competitiveness, and expanded industrial output in Ghana’s pharmaceutical sector.
