Ghana plans local production of active pharmaceutical ingredients to cut drug imports

Ghana is planning to develop local capacity to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the key components responsible for the therapeutic effects of medicines, as part of efforts to reduce dependence on imported drugs. Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, says building a domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing industry is critical to achieving healthcare sovereignty and strengthening the country’s ability to meet its healthcare needs. Speaking at the Africa Bio Conference on October 27, Mr Tanoh said about 70 per cent of medicines used in Ghana are imported, while local manufacturers also depend heavily on foreign suppliers for raw materials. He said Ghana must move beyond producing finished medicines to manufacturing the active ingredients used in their production. “Ghana does not produce that active ingredient. We must begin to produce it,” he said. Mr Tanoh disclosed that a proposed 2,000-acre Legon Pharmaceutical Innovation Park, under the 24-Hour Economy Programme and in partnership with Zeme Biohub Limited, is expected to support pharmaceutical manufacturing, research, diagnostics and medical-device production. The proposed facility is also expected to provide opportunities for researchers and start-ups to develop innovations into commercially viable products. He stressed the need for stronger collaboration among researchers, investors and regulators to ensure locally manufactured medicines meet the required safety, quality and efficacy standards. Mr Tanoh further called for priority to be given to medicines for diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, which he said account for a significant proportion of deaths in Ghana. Meanwhile, the President of Sena Institute of Technology and Chief Executive Officer of Zeme Biohub Limited said inadequate infrastructure and funding remain major challenges to the development of Ghana’s biotechnology sector. He said many innovations developed by Ghanaian researchers remain confined to laboratories and fail to reach the market. “All the things we learn or we produce in Ghana, they are in the lab. They are on the shelf; they can’t get into the market,” he said. He said the biotechnology hub is intended to bridge the gap between research and commercial production by providing infrastructure to support innovation, create jobs and help locally developed technologies reach the market. He added that the initiative would help make technology more accessible and enable Ghanaian innovators to commercialise their products locally.