President John Dramani Mahama has called for greater investment in local pharmaceutical manufacturing and health-sector capacity as part of efforts to reduce the Global South’s dependence on external donors.
Speaking at the Accra Reset event on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, Mahama said countries must gain greater control over the production and supply of essential medicines, rather than depend on shifting donor priorities.
The event was held under the theme “Full Circle: Making Global Development Work Again”. The president also launched a report from a high-level panel established by the Accra Reset Presidential Council
He linked the initiative to Ghana’s Resetting Ghana Agenda, which prioritises economic self-reliance, local value addition, public health infrastructure, transparent governance and the 24-hour economy.
“So when we say we are resetting Ghana’s health sector, we do not mean simply building medical facilities and waiting for foreign donors to supply the essential vaccines or IV fluids and medicines,” Mahama said.
“We mean building local industry capacity, encouraging our domestic pharmaceutical companies in Ghana to manufacture the essential medicines locally, backed by guaranteed state purchasing and regional market access.”
Mahama said the Accra Reset’s health agenda would seek to establish networks connecting research, regulatory oversight, local manufacturing and reliable distribution.
“We’re seeking pragmatic interdependence, a mature, equal partnership where we see one another as equals,” he said.
He also identified maternal and child health as a key test of the proposed reforms, noting that nearly seven out of 10 maternal deaths globally occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
Through the Mother Africa Initiative and the Business United for Mothers, Babies, and Youth campaign, Mahama said Ghana and its partners would connect public policy with corporate responsibility to improve health outcomes
