President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commissioned an ultra-modern office complex to serve as the strategic coordinating entity for vaccine research, development, and manufacturing in Ghana.
The President stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of countries, and it is high time for Ghana to take responsibility for its routine vaccine needs.
The President added that the National Vaccine Institute, which will be the pan-African hub for vaccines, has been established through a collaborative effort with key partners.
In addition to inaugurating the office complex, the President also inaugurated the Governing Board of the National Vaccine Institute in accordance with the National Vaccines Act, Article 1097 of 2023.
The board is chaired by renowned former WHO Deputy Chief, Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, and includes Prof. William Kwabena Ampofo as the Chief Executive Officer and representatives from various ministries, the Ghana Health Service, and the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
The President’s short-term goal is to finish and package COVID-19, Malaria, and Tuberculosis vaccines within two years.
The aim in the medium run is to sustain the process of creating additional local vaccine manufacturing facilities within the nation, which adhere to the standards set by WHO and GNP. The long-term goal is to produce a candidate vaccine in ten years using innovative technologies.
The establishment of the National Vaccine Institute and the accompanying laws according to the government will make Ghana self-sufficient in the domestic production of vaccines.
