Hot SourceBy Paul Mamattah
The second edition of the African Healthcare Manufacturing Trade Exhibition and Conference (AHMTEC 2025) has taken place in Accra.
The three-day event, jointly organised by the Federation of African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (FAPMA) and Vizuri Health Dynamics, was held under the theme, “Collaborate to Compete: Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Growth.”
It brought together manufacturers, regulators, investors, supply chain leaders, and other key industry players from over 40 countries across the continent.
The conference focused on strategies to build a stronger and more self-reliant healthcare manufacturing sector in Africa one capable of advancing health security, driving economic growth, and ensuring that patients and communities have access to quality and affordable medical products.
Delivering a keynote address read for her at the opening of the 2025 Africa Health Manufacturing and Technology Expo (AHMTEC), Vice President, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang called for Africa to end its dependency on imported medicines and to take charge of its own health security, describing the continent’s current reliance as unsustainable, unjust, and a moral challenge.
She said the fact that African manufacturers produce less than 30 percent of the medicines consumed on the continent should serve as a wake-up call that we cannot afford to ignore.
“For too long, our health security has been at the mercy of others. Dependence is not only unsustainable. It is unjust and not right. It is a moral challenge when the health and hope of our people are contingent on the goodwill of external forces.” She said.
The Vice President reaffirmed the government’s determination under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama to implement an ambitious transformation agenda aimed at reengineering Ghana’s manufacturing sector into a globally competitive powerhouse.
She stated that the vision is to make Ghana the preferred destination for high-quality African products by driving industrial innovation, value addition, and regional trade integration. She added that this aligns perfectly with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), headquartered in Accra.
According to her, the AfCFTA presents a unique opportunity to build integrated regional value chains, reduce import dependency, and enable African countries to trade what they produce and produce what they trade.
To achieve these goals, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said the government is focusing on expanding the local pharmaceutical manufacturing base, improving access to finance for small and medium enterprises, offering targeted tax incentives, supporting technology transfer, and protecting local innovation through strategic procurement and pro-African policies.
She praised the Federation of African Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (FAPMA) and its partners for choosing Ghana as the host for this year’s event, noting that the decision reflected confidence in the country’s growing pharmaceutical sector.
Touching on the theme, “Collaborate to Compete: Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Growth, she described it as not just a slogan but a call to destiny, urging African nations to unite capacities and build a self-reliant system.
“We continue to confront the consequences of a fragile global supply chain and dangerous dependence on imported medicines and essential health commodities,” she noted.
In her closing appeal, she urged the continent to move beyond the 30 percent production threshold.
“Let us together make the 30% figure a relic of the past and commit to a future where Africa manufactures the medicine it needs, sustains the jobs it creates, and secures the health of its people with pride and independence.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Pharmacology Group, Dhananjay Tripathi, described AHMTEC as more than an exhibition, calling it a unifying platform for manufacturers, policymakers, and financiers to strengthen health security and manufacturing capacity across Africa.
Mr. Tripathi said over 50 delegates had toured his company’s sterile production plant in Ningo-Prampram, demonstrating local innovation and preparedness for future pandemics.
The Council Chair of Vizuri Health Dynamics, Dr. Mariatou Tala Jallow, also underscored the growing momentum of Africa’s pharmaceutical industry, noting the increase in participating manufacturers from 30 to over 60 since AHMTEC’s inception.
She called on African manufacturers to no longer be treated as cottage industries, stressing the need for a shift in mindset to embrace “Brand Africa” and expand the market share of locally made products.
“To collaborate is to recognize that Africa’s strength lies in solidity, when a regulator in Kenya, an investor in South Africa, and a manufacturer in Ghana act as one strategic ecosystem, the continent can achieve its goals.” She said.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of the African Manufacturing Market Intelligence and Network Analysis (AMMINA) platform a digital tool that integrates data from over 700 manufacturers and 2,500 health products across 18 countries.
Describing AMMINA as a symbol of the power of intelligence and integration, Dr. Jallow said it will provide real-time insights to help governments, investors, and manufacturers move from aspiration to action by identifying opportunities, closing gaps, and accelerating investments in critical health manufacturing capacity.
AHMTEC 2025, held in Accra, reaffirmed Ghana’s rising leadership role in Africa’s journey toward industrial self-sufficiency and health sovereignty.
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