GHANA – Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched a US$35 million pharmaceutical manufacturing plant at Larpleku, Ningo-Prampram District to boost production of intravenous (IV) fluids, antiserums and vaccines.
The manufacturing plant will be managed by the government-backed Atlantic Lifesciences Limited under Ghana’s One District One Factory(1D1F) Programme aimed at manufacturing infusions, anesthesia, serums, vaccines and eye drops for the West African region.
Additionally, the Ghana Export Import (EXIM) Bank and the Standard Chartered Bank financed part of the operation in an effort to improve the country’s health delivery capacity.
The Atlantic Lifesciences factory is in line with the government’s vision of securing essential vaccines through domestic vaccine development to provide global quality drugs locally and at affordable prices.
The factory will also produce six vaccines locally such as anti-snake, anti-rabies, anti-diphtheria, anti-scorpion, anti-tetanus and anti-gangrene once the facility is fully operational.
During the launch, President Akufo-Addo stated that the inauguration of the Atlantic Lifesciences plant brings the number of infusion manufacturing firms in the country to five with a combined annual capacity of 133 million bottles.
President Akufo-Addo said that the 1D1F programme of his administration was focused on the provision and promotion of commercially viable business ventures to bolster economic development in rural communities.
The programme has established an institutional framework intended to attract private sector investment to create employment opportunities for Ghanaians to further address underdevelopment among rural communities.
In addition, he said that the Ministry of Trade and Industry had identified the pharmaceutical sector as one of the strategic sectors under the Ghana CARES Obaatanpa Programme meant for post-COVID-19 recovery.
He explained that the Ghana CARES policy will ensure increased investments in the country to enhance the productive capacity of pharmaceutical companies in the regional and continental market.
“The transformation of the economy from the production and export of raw materials to an industrial value-added economy remains one of the central priorities of the government,” the President assured.
The Minister of Trade and Industry Alan Kyerematen revealed that 11 out of 13 pharmaceutical companies under the 1D1F programme had received GH¢415.3 million (US$ 55.13M) in financial support as of the end of December 2021.
“The funds were meant to facilitate expansion, retooling and working capital for the Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies to enable them to build new manufacturing facilities and boost local production,” Alan further disclosed.
He added that building the local manufacturing capacity in the pharmaceutical industry would provide the basis for Ghana to restrict the importation of pharmaceutical products that could be produced locally.
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