Ghana To Establish Vaccine Manufacturing Plant By Next Year

Chairman of the National Vaccine Development Committee, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, has said that processes are underway for Ghana to establish a vaccine manufacturing plant next year.

He made this known while speaking at a stakeholder engagement session to provide an update on the progress of work.

 “Two weeks ago, we presented a charter of the national vaccine institute to the President and if it is approved, the Minister of Health will prepare a Cabinet memo on this topic for presentation to Cabinet. If approved, it will then go to Parliament for a law to pass establishing this institute that is to coordinate the production of the vaccine,” Prof. Boateng said.

“This is an emergency and we need to work so that by next year or so, we will get a vaccine made in Ghana.”

The update is coming at a time that the Chairman of the Ghana Covid-19 response team, Dr Anarfi Asamoah Baah says the government is facilitating discussion with international manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines to allow local pharmaceutical companies to produce them locally.

President Akufo Addo in early 2021 set up the National Vaccine Development Committee to come up with a plan of action towards vaccine development and manufacturing in Ghana.

And according to Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, the private sector is leading the process.

“This process is private sector-led and as Prof mentioned DEK, that’s the consortium of these three companies Danadams, Ernest Chemist and Kinapharma, people are ahead to pay a deposit for a fill and finish plant,” he said.

Already, the country’s European partners have helped to locate a manufacturing plant 

he added.