The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has stated that the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated that countries unable to produce essential medicines remain vulnerable to global supply shocks.
Mr Akandoh made the statement while delivering a keynote address at the African Trade Summit on the theme Health Security as Industrial Strategy: Manufacturing Medicines for Africa and the World. The Juaboso Member of Parliament emphasised that the pandemic exposed the high cost of dependence on external supply chains in terms of lives lost, jobs and long-term economic stability.
According to the Health Minister, health security can no longer be treated purely as a social intervention but must be pursued as a strategic industrial objective. He argued that President John Dramani Mahama’s leadership is driving a decisive shift toward local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, positioning health security as a core pillar of Ghana’s industrial transformation agenda.
Mr Akandoh explained that strengthening local production capacity will improve access to essential medicines, stimulate industrial growth, create jobs and reduce Africa’s exposure to external disruptions in global health supply systems. Ghana currently imports more than 70 percent of its medicines and 99 percent of vaccines used in health facilities across the country.
The Health Minister has expressed confidence that Ghana is positioned to become a leading producer of pharmaceuticals in Africa. He noted that the country possesses the expertise, capacity and political will to realise this vision. The government remains committed to supporting local producers with enabling policies, infrastructure and incentives to scale up operations.
Mr Akandoh held strategic engagements with pharmaceutical production companies in August 2025, bringing together key industry players including Kinapharma, Tobinco, Ayrton Drug, Ernest Chemist and Unichem Ghana. The discussions focused on enhancing production capacity, improving quality standards and expanding access to essential medicines.
The approach is laying groundwork for what the Minister described as true health sovereignty for Ghana and the wider African continent. Building a vibrant pharmaceutical sector is crucial not only for health security but also for economic growth and regional competitiveness, he stated.
Ghana has achieved World Health Organization (WHO) Maturity Level 3 for its Food and Drugs Authority, positioning the country to advance its 10-year National Vaccine Manufacturing Roadmap. The roadmap seeks to make Ghana self-sufficient in vaccine production and build a competitive pharmaceutical industry for national and regional needs.
