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; a move that could significantly reduce the cost of treatment for thousands of Ghanaians.
The discussions form part of the Trust Fund’s drive to secure essential medicines at more affordable prices, reduce Ghana’s dependence on costly imports and ensure that every cedi available to the Trust Fund can support more patients in need of specialised healthcare.
Administrator of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, 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 capabilities and identify practical areas for collaboration.
The visit followed an earlier engagement by Atlantic Lifesciences and its partners at the GMTF offices, where initial discussions were held on how the private pharmaceutical sector could support the mandate of the Trust Fund.
At the heart of the latest discussions was a major question: How can Ghana make life-saving medicines more affordable for patients while reducing the burden of imported medicines on the healthcare system?
One of the solutions being explored is the local manufacture of a wide range of cardiovascular medicines, anti-cancer medications and immunosuppressants to support the next phase of the GMTF services package.
For the Trust Fund, the potential impact is significant. Producing selected medicines locally could reduce import-related costs, improve the availability of essential drugs and enable the Fund to use its resources to support a greater number of patients battling chronic and life-threatening diseases.
The initiative also aligns with government’s broader vision of strengthening Ghana’s pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and building a more resilient and self-sufficient healthcare system.
Speaking during the engagement, Dhanankay Tripathi, CEO of PharmaNova Ltd., stressed the importance of identifying gaps within Ghana’s healthcare system and developing practical solutions that directly respond to the needs of patients.
Atlantic Lifesciences, working with the PharmaNova Group, positions itself as a health solutions provider that identifies critical gaps in healthcare delivery and develops interventions to address them.
The visit therefore provided the GMTF team with an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the company’s operations, manufacturing capabilities and potential contribution to the Trust Fund’s work. It also enabled Atlantic Lifesciences and its partners to better understand the GMTF’s mandate and the growing healthcare needs of the patients it supports.
Adjoa Obuobia Darko-Opoku said discussions between the two sides would continue, with particular attention to affordable access to medicines, local pharmaceutical production and other sustainable interventions capable of lowering the cost of specialised healthcare.
The proposed collaboration reflects a broader strategy by the Ghana Medical Trust Fund to forge partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and other organisations capable of bringing expertise, resources and innovative solutions to the fight against chronic diseases.
For the GMTF, the objective is about finding sustainable ways to drive down the cost of treatment, expand access to life-saving medicines and make every contribution to the Trust Fund go further.
By strengthening local pharmaceutical production and securing medicines at competitive prices, the Trust Fund believes it can support more patients while contributing to the development of a stronger and more affordable healthcare system for Ghana.
