Pharmaceutical Society Warns Galamsey Threatens Collapse of Local Drug Industry

The Ghana Pharmaceutical Society has cautioned that the country’s local pharmaceutical industry is at risk of collapse if illegal mining, known as galamsey, continues to devastate vital natural resources.

Speaking at a forum in Cape Coast on Thursday, September 25, 2025, the Society’s President, Dr. Samuel Kow Donkor, explained that galamsey operations are polluting water sources and plants that supply key raw materials for medicine production.

He revealed that Ghana already relies on imports for about 70 percent of its medicines, while locally manufactured drugs—especially infusions—depend heavily on high-quality water. “If our water treatment facilities are forced to shut down due to galamsey contamination, we will not only be compelled to import all our medicines but risk the total collapse of the local pharmaceutical sector,” Dr. Donkor warned.

He stressed that combating galamsey is not just an environmental or health issue but a national security imperative, as the survival of Ghana’s drug industry hinges on access to safe water and uncontaminated raw materials.