Medicine regulatory and quality assurance expert Benjamin Botwe has urged Ghana to develop a strategic plan to build local capacity to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) as part of efforts to achieve health sovereignty. He says the country must move beyond packaging imported pharmaceutical chemicals into finished medicines and invest in manufacturing essential ingredients used in drug production. This, according to him, will help address weaknesses in Ghana's pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and limit its ability to achieve self-sufficiency in the health sector.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, Volta Region, Mr Botwe stressed the need for a deliberate policy direction to strengthen local pharmaceutical production. He argued that achieving this goal would require closer regulatory alignment with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to ease operational barriers while maintaining internationally recognised quality standards. This will ensure that locally produced APIs meet global standards.
Mr Botwe also expressed concern about Ghana's inability to translate pharmaceutical research into practical solutions, insisting that research outcomes must move beyond academic publications to support industrial development and innovation. He urged the next generation of pharmacists to broaden their professional ambitions and explore opportunities beyond traditional clinical and community pharmacy practice. This, he believes, will help strengthen Ghana's pharmaceutical industry.
While acknowledging the importance of pharmacists working in hospitals and community dispensaries, Mr Botwe maintained that the profession had a much wider role to play in strengthening Ghana's pharmaceutical industry. He identified industrial production, regulatory science, quality assurance and biomanufacturing as critical areas in which pharmacists could contribute to the country's development. These areas are crucial for the growth of the pharmaceutical sector.
Mr Botwe challenged pharmacy students and young professionals to position themselves as problem-solvers who can address structural bottlenecks in the pharmaceutical sector rather than limit their career choices to conventional pathways. He said the country needed a new generation of pharmacists equipped to drive innovation, strengthen local manufacturing and contribute to the development of a more resilient healthcare system. This will help address the country's health challenges.
The 10th anniversary celebration of the UHAS School of Pharmacy was held under the theme: “A Decade of Excellence, Advancing Pharmacy Education, Research and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing.” The milestone provided an opportunity to reflect on the school's contribution to pharmacy education while highlighting the need to strengthen research, innovation and local pharmaceutical manufacturing in Ghana. The event brought together stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector.
Key to achieving Ghana's goal of health sovereignty is developing local capacity to produce APIs. Mr Botwe's call to action is timely, given the country's reliance on imported pharmaceutical ingredients. Implementing a strategic plan to build local capacity will require collaboration between stakeholders, including government agencies, pharmaceutical companies and educational institutions. The outcome will be a more resilient healthcare system.
Key points
- Regulatory expert Benjamin Botwe urges Ghana to develop local capacity to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients.
- Ghana's dependence on imported APIs exposes weaknesses in its pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity.
- Developing local capacity for API production will help achieve health sovereignty and strengthen Ghana's pharmaceutical industry.
