Representatives of three German companies and a Swiss company have visited Ghana as part of a pharmaceutical sector business delegation visit aimed at connecting Ghanaian manufacturers with European technology and equipment providers that could support their production and expansion plans.

The representatives were from Kyoobe Tech GmbH, Pruess GmbH and Groninger & Co. GmbH, all German companies with SKAN AG being the Swiss company.

They were in Ghana by courtesy of PharmaVax Ghana Programme in partnership with the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Ghana (AHK Ghana).

PharmaVax Ghana is a EUR33 million programme co-financed by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ with the aim of strengthening the pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing sector in Ghana.

A statement issued by the German Embassy in Ghana after the visit said during the three-day visit, the delegation met with the German Ambassador to Ghana, Frederik Landshöft, and representatives of GIZ and AHK Ghana.

It said the delegation also held discussions with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana and visited plants of Ghanaian manufacturers - Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd and Ernest Chemists Ltd to learn about their manufacturing 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,” it said.

It said the visit also enabled them 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 statement said further European companies had been engaged by the programme outside of the delegation’s visit with the aim of fostering business partnerships with Ghanaian companies.

Next step

On the next step after the delegation’s visit, the statement said PharmaVax Ghana and AHK Ghana would use the information gathered during the visit to match the specific needs of Ghanaian manufacturers with the capabilities of the participating companies.

On the areas Germany was supporting Ghana’s pharmaceutical sector, the statement said in partnership with the European Union, Germany supported Ghana’s ambition to build a more competitive pharmaceutical manufacturing sector and strengthen its position as a regional hub.

Through the PharmaVax Ghana Programme, it said that support focused on strengthening pharmaceutical governance and regulation, developing workforce skills, promoting applied research and collaboration between industry and research institutions, and helping local manufacturers expand their production capacities and access new markets.

It said pharmaceutical cooperation could help Ghana strengthen local production, reduce its reliance on imported medicines, improve the resilience of medicine supply chains and create skilled employment.

The statement said pharmaceutical cooperation would also give Ghanaian manufacturers access to technology, expertise and international business networks, while providing European companies with opportunities in Ghana and the wider West African market.