Health Minister, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that government has heightened surveillance and introduced additional measures to curb the inflow of illicit opioids into the country.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, February 25, he emphasized that the increasing infiltration of illegal opioids poses a significant public health and national security concern, particularly for the youth.
He said while opioids serve a critical role in modern medicine for pain relief, their misuse has led to a global addiction crisis, with Ghana being no exception.
He stressed that the abuse of tramadol has already caused severe social and health problems, including addiction, mental health issues, and even deaths adding that the crisis, however, goes beyond tramadol.
According to him, the Ministry of Health and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) have acknowledged a BBC Africa Eye report revealing the smuggling of unapproved drugs containing tapentadol and carisoprodol, allegedly manufactured by the Indian pharmaceutical company Aveo, into Ghana, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire without regulatory approval.
He stated that in response to the escalating crisis, the government has introduced several measures which includes the reclassification of tramadol as a controlled drug, with strict regulations now governing its sale, manufacture, and distribution. As a result, it is now available only by prescription, similar to the ban on codeine-containing cough syrups.
Additionally, market surveillance and regulatory enforcement have been strengthened, with frequent inspections of pharmacies and over-the-counter medicine vendors leading to the confiscation of unauthorized opioid products and the prosecution of offenders.
He added that the government has also launched a national education campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid abuse and encourage responsible medication use.
Highlighting major recent drug seizures, he revealed that in December 2023, a container falsely declared for transit to Niger was found to contain large quantities of unregistered opioid products, which were seized and destroyed in February 2025 following a court order. Similarly, in May 2024, enforcement teams intercepted thousands of cartons of illicit tramadol.
Additionally, he mentioned that a joint task force comprising the FDA, Narcotics Control Commission, Customs, and the Ghana Revenue Authority has intensified checks at key entry points to curb further unauthorized imports. As a result, large consignments of illicit opioids have been seized and destroyed. Moreover, inspections of over-the-counter medicine vendors have been intensified, leading to the confiscation of unauthorized opioids and legal action against offenders.
