By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, June 10, GNA- Ghana has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming healthcare and positioning itself as a leading hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical innovation in West Africa.
Dr Hafiz Adam Taher, Director of Technical Coordination at the Ministry of Health, representing the Minister of Health, made the declaration at the opening of the 5th West Africa Pharma and Healthcare Expo 2026 in Accra.
He told delegates, industry leaders, investors, healthcare professionals and development partners that Africa must move beyond being a consumer of externally designed health solutions to becoming a key player in shaping global health.
“For too long, we have remained primarily consumers in a health economy that others design, produce and control. This gathering signals a different ambition – our determination to move from the periphery to the centre of global health innovation,” he said.
Dr Taher described the Expo as a strategic platform for innovation, investment and collaboration.
He highlighted government initiatives including the Free Primary Healthcare Programme and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares) aimed at removing financial barriers and supporting households facing serious medical conditions.
Dr Taher said Ghana was pursuing investments in pharmaceutical manufacturing, vaccine production, medical technologies and healthcare infrastructure, noting progress towards local vaccine production through the National Vaccine Institute.
He said that lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic underscored the need for resilient healthcare supply chains.
“We saw what happened when vaccines became available globally. Africa was among the last regions to receive supplies. That is a lesson we cannot afford to forget,” he stated.
Dr Taher noted that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital health platforms and biotechnology were reshaping healthcare delivery worldwide, and Ghana intended to be an active participant
“We are not here merely to talk. We are here to act. We are committed to moving from discussion to agreements, from ideas to impact, and from decisions to investment,” he said.
Mr V.N Parameswaran, Chargé d’Affaires at the High Commission of India in Ghana, reaffirmed India’s commitment to deepening healthcare cooperation with Ghana and Africa.
He noted that India had become known globally as the “pharmacy of the world,” with one in three tablets consumed in Africa manufactured in India and more than half of vaccines originating from Indian laboratories.
Mr Parameswaran said Ghana and India shared similar healthcare challenges and encouraged participants to use the Expo to establish partnerships for local pharmaceutical manufacturing, knowledge transfer, skills development and healthcare innovation.
Mr Praveen Singh, Chief Executive Officer of ACE Group, organisers of the Expo, said the event had grown significantly since its inception in 2022, evolving into one of West Africa’s leading healthcare exhibitions.
“Our biggest competitor is ourselves. Every year, we challenge ourselves to do better than the previous year by improving the quality of exhibitors, attracting more professional visitors, creating more business opportunities, and delivering greater value to the industry,” he said.
Mr Singh disclosed that the 2026 edition was the largest and most international in the Expo’s history, attracting more than 100 exhibitors from countries including India, Turkey, the United States, Egypt, Italy and Ghana, with between 4,000 and 5,000 professional trade visitors expected.
The exhibition, organised by Astrovision Global FZCO, Dubai, and ACE Group under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, was designed to facilitate technology transfer, attract investments, strengthen local manufacturing and improve healthcare delivery across the region.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Samira Larbie [email protected]