Ghana is set to start the construction of its first COVID-19 vaccine production plant in July, 2022.
This was announced by the Chairman of the Presidential Vaccine Manufacturing Committee, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng.
“The team has completed visibility studies, the international partners led by IFC are working to produce a bankable project and it is expected that the construction of the plant will start by July this year,” he said.
He also mentioned that Ghana together with Rwanda and Senegal have partnered with German company Biotech, to fill, finish and package Biotech mRNA vaccines in Africa.
“This is the first step in a chain of domestic vaccine production which is expected to improve vaccine accessibility in Africa,” he added.
Professor Boateng was speaking at the commemoration of the World Health Day in Accra on the theme: “Two years of COVID-19 management in Ghana: Lessons and Interventions towards a better Ghana.”
World Health Day is celebrated April 7 every year and aims to bring awareness to certain global issues. Every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) picks one issue to focus on.
This year’s celebration was held under the auspices of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
The event, in the form of a round table, sought to draw attention to initiatives that foster health security. It also discussed lessons towards the promotion of a prosperous and healthier Ghana.
The team leader for health development at GIZ Ghana, Dr. Holger Till, said his outfit has taken the lead role to support vaccine manufacturing in Ghana through a development roadmap intended to transform the country into a Pan-African vaccine manufacturing hub.
“Since one and half years, we secured some funding through the German government to partner directly with the National Vaccine Committee headed by Professor Frimpong Boateng and we are accompanying the committee in its training to support the domestic vaccine productions,” he said.
Cluster coordinator for the GIZ Ghana Network for inclusive Economic Development, Gerald Guskoaski, said GIZ is glad to be supporting Ghana’s 10-year development roadmap intended to transform the country into a Pan-African vaccine manufacturing hub.
“We are happy to be partnering with other development sector partners such as the European Union as well as private sector partners so that Ghana can start vaccine production in 2024,” he added.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri