Mahama calls for removal of barriers to boost Africa’s pharmaceutical industry

President John Dramani Mahama has urged the removal of regulatory and financial barriers to fuel the growth of Africa's pharmaceutical sector. He emphasized that Africa's healthcare transformation cannot be realized through individual nation-state efforts, but necessitates coordinated markets, regulations, investment strategies, and industrial capabilities across the continent.

Mahama highlighted the importance of creating a seamless environment for health product distribution and market access for manufacturers beyond their home countries. He stressed the need to eliminate regulatory and financial friction to transform isolated successes into a continental pharmaceutical ecosystem. He pointed out that the African Continental Free Trade Area offers a vital framework for expanding markets for African pharmaceutical producers and encouraging investment in production capacity.

The Ghanaian President revealed that Ghana is setting up dedicated task forces and a Reform Interlock Observatory under the Accra Reset Presidential Council to oversee capital flows, enforce policy commitments, and identify non-tariff barriers impacting regional value chains. He underscored that these measures are essential to convert political pledges into tangible opportunities for businesses and investors.

Mahama also called on African regulators to expedite the operation of the African Medicines Agency, asserting that swift regulatory harmonization is crucial for establishing a unified continental pharmaceutical market and drawing the substantial investment needed to cultivate competitive African industries.