The fifth edition of the West Africa Pharma and Healthcare Expo opened in Accra yesterday with a call on government, private sector, and development partners to move “from discussion to delivery” in order to position Ghana as West Africa’s hub for health sector investment and local manufacturing.

Organised by AstroVison Global Fzco and ACE Group, the three day Expo serves as an important gateway for discovering innovative products, exploring new technologies, building strategic partnerships, attracting investments, and advancing healthcare delivery and pharmaceutical manufacturing throughout West Africa

This year’s event was on the theme: ‘Advancing Healthcare, Connecting Africa’ and brought together healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical leaders, policymakers, manufacturers, distributors, investors, and innovators showcase their products and services for marketing and networking.

Opening the expo, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, Dr Hafiz Adam, said Ghana was open for business in the health sector and actively seeking strategic investments to strengthen healthcare delivery and local production.

He said the government’s vision linked health security to economic resilience and human development, adding that investment in the sector remained critical to achieving sustainable growth.

Dr Adam disclosed that Ghana was expected to produce its first locally manufactured vaccine next year, a development he described as a major milestone in the country’s drive towards pharmaceutical self-sufficiency.

He stressed the need for Africa to transition from being largely dependent on imported medicines and medical technologies to becoming a producer, innovator and exporter within the global health system.

“This gathering signals our determination to move from the periphery to the centre of global health,” he stated.

The Director of ACE Events, Mr Praveen Singh, described Ghana as one of the fastest-growing healthcare and pharmaceutical markets in West Africa.

He said the country’s demand for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, laboratory equipment and healthcare technologies presented significant opportunities for investment, technology transfer and local manufacturing.

Mr Singh noted that the expo, launched in 2022, was aimed at connecting healthcare stakeholders in West Africa with global manufacturers, innovators and solution providers to drive growth and innovation in the sector.

 He said the government was pursuing a plan that tied health security to national economic resilience and human development.