The President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), Benjamin Kwame Botwe, says the country will only be able to significantly reduce the number of drugs imported into the country if more investments are pushed into growing the local industry. It is estimated that more than 70 percent of the drugs consumed in the country is imported.
It is estimated that more than 70 percent of the drugs consumed in the country is imported.
The government this year placed a ban on the importation of some 49 drugs which are produced locally.
This is to boost the capacity of local pharmaceutical companies while creating jobs in the process. It is hoped that with time, the volume of drugs being imported into the country will reduce as the local industry grows to meet the demands of the country.
Speaking to Starrfmonline.com at the launch of this year’s World Pharmacists Day, Mr. Botwe said the goal of reducing the importation of medicines will be boosted if the industry is expanded.
“Let us all agree that we cannot, as part of the world community, decide that we cannot import world medicine. We will import medicines whether we like it or not. What is important is that we have to reduce the percentage of the medicines that we import,” he said.
Lauding government’s efforts in that regard, he opined that much more needs to be done to ensure that the local industry is sufficiently resourced to meet the medicinal needs of the country.
“We want to see more manufacturing companies being established, those already existing being expanded; expanding their range and production and manufacturing facilities as well as their quality assurance systems”, he stated.
2017 WORLD PHARMACISTS DAY
This year’s World Pharmacist Day which is marked on September 25 every year, is on the theme, “From research to healthcare, your pharmacist is at your service”. According to the President of the PSGH, the theme is to emphasize the lead role that the pharmacist plays “during the discovery and development of medicines”.
Partnership with Janssen to eradicate worm infestation
A key aspect of the launch which took place at the LEKMA Cluster of Schools in Teshie, Accra, was the announcement of a collaboration between Jansen Pharmaceuticals of Johnson & Johnson and the PSGH to eradicate worm infestation among school children.
The partnership which is in its second year, is targeting 10,000 children of between six and 12 years from across the 10 regions of Ghana. As part of the campaign, a drawing and poetry competition was organized for pupils in a selected cluster of schools to depict hygienic practices which prevent worm infestation.
Ghana Country Manager for Jansen, Priscilla Owusu Sekyere says, the decision to partner the PSGH and the Ghana Education Service for the second year running is based on the success of last year’s collaboration. “We want to continue working together to help teach primary school children about the dangers of poor sanitation and the importance of effective hand-washing”, she said.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana has described the partnership with Jansen as one that it “holds in very high esteem and wishes that it is broadened to other areas of cooperation to better serve the people of Ghana.”
Diseases from parasites and worm infestations such as guinea-worm, schistosomiasis and other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), impose great burden on the population and healthcare services of developing countries like Ghana. The World Health Organization, estimates that over 500 million people living in sub Saharan Africa are affected by these diseases.
The WHO has recommended that interventions be made in improving environmental factors such as clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Tawakalitu Braimah