By Stanley Kwabla Arku
Government has announced plans to support small and medium-scale pharmaceutical manufacturers with targeted tax incentives and technological transfer programs aimed at strengthening Ghana’s medicinal production base.
This was disclosed by Dr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Policy Advisor on Political Affairs at the Office of the Vice President, who spoke on behalf of Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang at the Africa Healthcare Manufacturing Trade Exhibition and Conference 2025.
Dr. Ofosu Ampofo said the government is poised to implement a transformative agenda to modernize and expand the country’s medicinal manufacturing base, adding that it remains committed to re-engineering Ghana’s manufacturing sector into a globally competitive powerhouse.
He noted that dwindling donor support for Africa’s health systems is a clear signal for countries on the continent to unite, harness their collective intelligence, and build a self-reliant system that safeguards the health and prosperity of their people.
“The reality that African manufacturers produce less than 30 percent of the medicines consumed on the continent is a wake-up call we cannot afford to ignore,” he said.
Dr. Ofosu Ampofo warned that Africa’s dangerous dependence on imported medicines and essential health commodities poses a long-term threat to public health security, emphasizing the need for strategic investment in local production, innovation, and technology partnerships.
The conference brought together key stakeholders in Africa’s pharmaceutical and healthcare manufacturing industries to discuss strategies for advancing local production, improving access to quality medicines, and promoting the continent’s health sovereignty.