Representatives of three German companies and a Swiss company have visited Ghana as part of a pharmaceutical sector business delegation aimed at connecting Ghanaian manufacturers with European technology and equipment providers that could support their production and expansion plans.
The delegation included representatives from Kyoobe Tech GmbH, Pruess GmbH and Groninger & Co. GmbH, all German firms, along with the Swiss company SKAN AG. They visited Ghana courtesy of the PharmaVax Ghana Program, in partnership with the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK Ghana).
PharmaVax Ghana is a EUR33 million program co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ, with the goal of strengthening Ghana's pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing sector.
According to a statement from the German Embassy in Ghana, the delegation met with the German Ambassador to Ghana, Frederik Landshöft, along with representatives of GIZ and AHK Ghana during the three day visit. They also held discussions with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana and toured the plants of two Ghanaian manufacturers, Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd and Ernest Chemists Ltd, to learn about their operations and expansion plans, and received a briefing from the Food and Drugs Authority on the regulatory environment.
The statement said discussions covered Ghana's pharmaceutical market, local production capabilities, manufacturers' expansion and technology needs, regulatory requirements and opportunities for investment and technical partnerships.
"The delegation's visit gave the visiting companies a first hand understanding of Ghana's pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. It enabled them to identify where their equipment and technical solutions could support specific regulatory requirements and expansion plans and contribute to the strengthening of Ghana's manufacturing capabilities," the statement said.
It added that the visit allowed the companies to establish direct relationships, identify areas for targeted follow-up, and demonstrated PharmaVax Ghana's role in bringing together manufacturers, public sector stakeholders and international partners. The program has also engaged further European companies outside this particular delegation, with the same goal of fostering business partnerships with Ghanaian firms.
On next steps, the statement said PharmaVax Ghana and AHK Ghana would use information gathered during the visit to match the specific needs of Ghanaian manufacturers with the capabilities of the participating companies.
Outlining the areas of German support for Ghana's pharmaceutical sector, the statement said Germany, in partnership with the European Union, backs Ghana's ambition to build a more competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing sector and strengthen its position as a regional hub. Through PharmaVax Ghana, that support focuses on strengthening pharmaceutical governance and regulation, developing workforce skills, promoting applied research and collaboration between industry and research institutions, and helping local manufacturers expand production capacity and access new markets.
The statement said such cooperation could help Ghana boost local production, reduce reliance on imported medicines, strengthen the resilience of its medicine supply chains and create skilled employment. It would also give Ghanaian manufacturers access to technology, expertise and international business networks, while offering European companies opportunities in Ghana and the wider West African market.
