The government is working closely with key partners in the local pharmaceutical manufacturing sector to bring to fruition Ghana’s first local vaccine production.
This, according to the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, formed part of government’s 10-year vaccine manufacturing roadmap to make the country a vaccine manufacturing hub for the West African sub-region and beyond.
Mr Agyeman-Manu said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health, Dr Charity Sarpong, at the 60th Anniversary celebration of Phyto-Riker (GIHOC) Pharmaceutical Company Limited on the theme “Trusted quality for great health: 60 years of continuous impact.”
The celebration was graced by the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, as well as representatives from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Pharmaceutical Council of Ghana.
He said that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had revealed the need to develop and maintain a robust pharmaceutical sector that could respond to emergencies.
To this end, MrAgyeman-Manu asserted that the government was committed to providing an enabling environment for local pharmaceutical companies to thrive while meeting the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standard of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“This, it seeks to do by facilitating technical assistance to these companies in order to improve their efficiency.
“Government will continue to develop and implement policies like the Value Added Tax (VAT) exemption, the Restricted Medicines policy, application of 10 to 15 percent domestic preference local manufacturers who participate in our competitive tenders for locally manufactured medicines to support our local manufacturers,” Mr Agyeman-Manu said.
He, therefore, urged the pharmaceutical company to take advantage of various government and global initiatives to improve upon its existing systems.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and industry, Mr Michael Okyere Baafi, bemoaned the low level of manufacturing rate in the existing pharmaceutical industry which he said was about 30 percent.
According to him, the aforementioned figure in percentage meant that pharmaceutical companies were failing to meet the pharmaceutical needs of the citizens in the country.
Mr Baafi noted that in as much as the situation was worrying, government was committed to changing the narrative by implementing programmes to help build the capacities of local manufacturing pharmaceutical companies.
He also admonished the pharmaceutical company to conduct a lot of research and be innovative in its operations.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the pharmaceutical company, Mrs Theresa Yamson, indicated that the company, one of the oldest locally pharmaceutical manufacturing company, had chalked enormous achievements over the past years.
Some of these achievements, she said, included the continues training of students and partners in various research activities, manufacturing of standardised products and the support of communities and institutions through its Corporate Social Responsibilities] (CSOs).
Additionally, Mrs Yamson noted that the company in line with FDA’s Regulatory requirements and GMP standards, had completed the design of a new ultra-modern factory to augment its operations.
For his part, the Deputy Registrar of the Pharmaceutical Council, DrDaniel AmaningDanquah, lauded the company for keeping to standard, adding that the pharmaceutical industry was shifting from product to patient-oriented.
He said the council would assist the pharmaceutical company in that regard.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
