The European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) are organizing the first Steering Committee meeting for the project “Strengthening the Ghanaian Pharmaceutical Sector.”
The project will focus on vaccine production under the initiative PharmaVax Ghana.
With a budget of €33 million — €23.1 million from the EU and €9.9 million from BMZ — this initiative aims to transform Ghana’s pharmaceutical ecosystem by strengthening local manufacturing capabilities and enhancing health security.
Currently, Ghana relies heavily on imported vaccines and medicines, with 70% of pharmaceutical products and all vaccines coming from abroad.
Recognizing the critical importance of access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, PharmaVax Ghana, which will be implemented over a 4-year period, will help reduce this dependency by fostering domestic pharmaceutical production capabilities.
Speaking at the inaugural Steering Committee Meeting, EU Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Irchad Razaaly, highlighted the project’s significance as a continuation of the strong partnership between Team Europe and Ghana.
“Four years ago, during the peak of the global pandemic, the European Union played a key role in supplying Ghana with its first 600,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX facility. Getting vaccines is good, but producing them is even better! That is why Team Europe launched the MAV+ initiative in Africa to promote local manufacturing of vaccines and pharmaceuticals. PharmaVax embodies this ambition in Ghana,” he said.
Dr. Dirk Aßmann, Country Director of GIZ Ghana, added, “PharmaVax Ghana is a testament to our shared commitment to empowering local manufacturers, advancing research, and establishing rigorous regulatory standards, positioning Ghana as a leader in African pharmaceutical production.”
Dr. Holger Till, Head of PharmaVax Ghana, noted, “This project is not just about building pharmaceutical companies; it is about creating sustainable ecosystems that foster innovation, job creation, and self-reliance in Ghana’s healthcare system.”
The PharmaVax Ghana project is being implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and will focus on four strategic goals.
It aims to improve the capacities of public actors for governance and regulation of pharmaceutical production, support the skills development of the pharmaceutical workforce, promote applied research and development through cooperation between pharmaceutical and research institutions, and foster private sector development to strengthen manufacturers’ production capacities and market access.
The project involves the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the National Vaccine Institute, along with the Food and Drugs Authority, local manufacturers, private sector associations, and research institutions.
It will also foster key links with African, European, and global research institutions and companies.
PharmaVax Ghana is part of the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies in Africa (MAV+).
This initiative is a flagship of the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy.
The European Union Global Gateway was launched in 2021 and covers hundreds of sustainable and high-quality investment projects developed and supported by the EU and its Member States.
Global Gateway combines large-scale infrastructure projects with investments in regulatory standards, technology transfer, and know-how, enhancing the economic competitiveness of partner countries.
In Ghana, the Global Gateway pipeline is growing progressively through its 2023 flagship Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies in Africa (MAV+).
Through MAV+, the EU is supporting Ghana’s ambition to become a vaccine-manufacturing hub.
Launched in response to the structural problems exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, notably the wide discrepancy in manufacturing capacities worldwide.
In addition to the call made by African leaders to support the continent in boosting pharmaceutical production, MAV+ is backed by EUR 1.3 billion in grants and loans and consists of over 80 specific projects in Africa.
This Team Europe Initiative delivers an integrated and comprehensive support package tackling barriers to manufacturing and access to health products (with a particular focus on vaccines) and technologies in Africa from all angles.
Ghana, Senegal, Rwanda, Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt are the six African countries prioritized under MAV+.
This responds to Ghana’s quest to become a frontrunner country for vaccine manufacturing in Africa, hosting one of the most robust regulatory agencies on the continent, and having set a “Roadmap for Vaccine Development and Manufacturing” (2021) under the leadership of the National Vaccine Institute, commissioned in 2023, in addition to the existing thriving pharmaceutical sector.
About GIZ:
As a provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development and international education work, GIZ is dedicated to building a future worth living around the world.
GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe, with the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector and governments of other countries all benefiting from our services.
We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity.
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is our main commissioning party.
Currently, GIZ promotes sustainable development in Ghana via about 50 programmes and projects.
The activities currently cover three priority areas: Climate and Energy Just Transition, with a concentration on renewable energy and energy efficiency; Sustainable Economic Development, Training and Employment, and Peaceful and Inclusive Societies, which looks at good governance
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