The European Union (EU) together with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Government of Ghana represented by the Ministry of Health on May 7, 2013, signed a memorandum of understanding to promote access to affordable, safe, efficacious and good quality medicines in Ghana. The agreement is under the Renewed EU/ACP/WHO Partnership: Strengthening pharmaceutical systems and improving access to quality medicines in countries in Africa.
The project will be funded from the Intra-African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) envelope of the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) with an EU contribution of EUR 9.85 million with a total eligible cost of EUR 10.85 million. The activities under the project are to last four years in 15 countries including Ghana.
In this regards, the European Union will provide around 400,000 USD over a period of four years to strengthen pharmaceutical systems and improve access to quality medicines in Ghana with technical support of the World Health Organisation.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana, Ambassador Claude Maerten signed on behalf of the EU, while the Minister of Health, Ms. Hanny-Sherry Ayettey and the WHO Country Director, Dr. Iddrisa Sow, signed on behalf of the Government of Ghana and the WHO respectively.
In a brief remark, the Minister of Health, Ms Ayettey, commended the two institutions for their support and appealed to the WHO to help accredit local manufacturing companies to produce drugs locally to enhance quality, create employment for Ghanaians and also ensure that the drugs produced are certified to reduce cost of importing drugs.
On his part, Ambassador Maerten stated that in the past there have been repeated reports in the media on fake und unsafe drugs causing considerably threats to the health of the Ghanaian population. It is therefore important that Ghana takes on the fight of counterfeit medicines and improves the quality assurance of essential medicines, he noted.
Find attached in pdf a press release issued at the signing ceremony.
