**Ghana’s pharmaceutical imports have risen to more than $750 million, highlighting the country’s continued reliance on overseas suppliers for medicines, the Ghana Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (GPMA) has warned.** Dr Lucia Addae, the GPMA’s Executive Secretary, said Ghana still produces only about 30$250 million. Today, that figure sits a little over $750 million,” she said. The government’s new policy is designed to support pharmaceutical companies operating in Ghana, attract investment and establish the country as a major producer and exporter of medicines in West Africa. Minister of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare said the government now had to turn the policy’s objectives into practical investment, manufacturing and employment opportunities. “With this clear direction from the head of state, my ministry’s responsibility is to translate that commitment into factories, products, exports and jobs. The policy provides the framework for accelerating investments, promoting local manufacturing and improving the competitiveness of our industry,” she said. The minister said Ghana’s ambition was to manufacture sufficient quantities of safe and affordable medicines for its own population, while also supplying countries across the sub-region. “Our vision is simple: a Ghana that produces safe, quality and affordable medicines for its people and serves as the pharmaceutical manufacturing hub of West Africa,” she said. Germany’s Ambassador to Ghana, Frederik Landshoft, welcomed the policy and said Germany supported efforts to develop the country’s pharmaceutical sector. He said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the dangers of relying on a small number of countries for essential medicines and vaccines. “The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us how vulnerable countries become when essential medicines and vaccines are produced in only a few places. That is why Germany strongly welcomes Ghana’s ambition to become a regional pharmaceutical manufacturing hub,” he said. The policy is expected to help local manufacturers increase output, draw further investment and compete more effectively with overseas companies. It is also intended to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported medicines and improve the country’s capacity to meet its healthcare requirements.