The Ghana Medical Trust Fund (GMTF) is exploring a strategic partnership with Atlantic Lifesciences Limited and the PharmaNova Group to locally manufacture critical medicines for cancer, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic conditions.
The proposed collaboration is aimed at reducing the cost of treatment for thousands of Ghanaians, while cutting the country’s reliance on expensive imported medicines.
Administrator of the GMTF, Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku, led a team from the Trust Fund on a working visit to Atlantic Lifesciences Limited to inspect its facilities, assess its manufacturing capabilities and identify potential areas of collaboration.
The visit followed an earlier engagement between Atlantic Lifesciences, its partners and the GMTF, where discussions were held on how the private pharmaceutical sector could support the Trust Fund’s mandate.
A key focus of the discussions was how Ghana could make life-saving medicines more affordable while reducing the financial burden associated with imported drugs.
Among the interventions being considered is the local production of cardiovascular medicines, anti-cancer drugs and immunosuppressants to support the next phase of the GMTF’s services package.
The Trust Fund believes local production could help reduce import-related costs, improve the availability of essential medicines and allow it to extend support to more patients battling chronic and life-threatening diseases.
The initiative also aligns with government’s broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and build a more resilient and self-sufficient healthcare system.
Speaking during the engagement, Dhanankay Tripathi, CEO of PharmaNova Ltd., stressed the need to identify gaps in Ghana’s healthcare system and develop practical solutions that directly address patients’ needs.
Atlantic Lifesciences, in collaboration with the PharmaNova Group, is seeking to contribute to healthcare delivery by identifying critical gaps and developing solutions to address them.
The visit allowed the GMTF team to gain first-hand insight into the company’s operations and manufacturing capabilities, while also giving Atlantic Lifesciences and its partners a better understanding of the Trust Fund’s mandate and the healthcare needs of the patients it supports.
Ms Darko-Opoku said discussions between the two sides would continue, with emphasis on affordable access to medicines, local pharmaceutical production and other sustainable interventions that could help reduce the cost of specialised healthcare.
The proposed partnership forms part of the GMTF’s broader strategy of working with pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and other organisations to mobilise expertise, resources and innovative solutions in the fight against chronic diseases.
The Trust Fund says its ultimate goal is to reduce treatment costs, expand access to life-saving medicines and ensure that every contribution it receives can support more patients.
By strengthening local pharmaceutical production and securing medicines at competitive prices, the GMTF believes the initiative could benefit patients while contributing to the development of a stronger and more affordable healthcare system in Ghana.
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