The fatal shooting of Mohammed Zia-UlHak Zibrim, a respected pharmacist and CEO of Zimax Pharmacy in Bolgatanga, has triggered nationwide outrage among Ghana’s pharmaceutical community, which is now calling for urgent reforms to protect frontline health workers.
Zibrim was gunned down near his home on Thursday, June 5, shortly after closing his pharmacy for the day. His murder, still under investigation, has become a rallying point for pharmacists across the country who say they are increasingly vulnerable to violence.
In response, the Community Practice Pharmacists Association (CPPA) has declared a seven-day national period of mourning beginning Thursday, June 12. Pharmacists will wear red armbands or headbands and display red cloth in their facilities — not just as a sign of grief, but as a public call to action.
“This is more than a loss — it’s a warning,” said CPPA National Chairman Dr Emmanuel Kwaku Ireland. “Zibrim’s murder exposes the growing risks community pharmacists face. We can’t provide healthcare in fear.”
While the CPPA is demanding swift action from the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute Zibrim’s killers, the association is also drawing attention to a broader pattern of threats — including burglaries, assaults, and now targeted killings — that is forcing pharmacists to limit operations, especially at night.
The statement cautioned that if security conditions don’t improve, public health could suffer as access to medicines and emergency care shrinks.
In the wake of Zibrim’s death, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH) has joined forces with CPPA to lobby for systemic reforms, including increased police protection for health workers, particularly in volatile regions like the Upper East, where the killing occurred.
Zibrim was widely known for his dedication and willingness to serve beyond standard hours. His death has been described by colleagues as “a blow to the entire pharmaceutical profession.”
The CPPA’s symbolic protest underscores a larger fear: that unless decisive steps are taken to protect pharmacists, Ghana could see an erosion in healthcare delivery from the grassroots up.
“Our deepest sympathies go to the family of our fallen colleague,” said Dr Ireland. “But we owe him more than tears. We owe him justice — and change.”
