President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has commissioned a new building that will serve as the home of the National Vaccine Institute.
The commissioning of this building is seen as a significant step in the country’s efforts to produce its own vaccines.
In a statement delivered during the commissioning ceremony on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, President Akufo-Addo highlighted his government’s determination to ensure that Ghana is never again a victim or a pawn of the international vaccine order.
He went on to explain that vaccine nationalism played out by the developed world during the COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for Ghana to take its destiny into its own hands.
In response to this challenge, President Akufo-Addo set up the Vaccine Manufacturing Committee in February 2021, which has now been transformed into the National Vaccine Institute by Act of Parliament. The Institute has been given $25 million to coordinate and facilitate the capacity of domestic pharmaceutical companies to fill, finish, and package mRNA COVID-19, malaria, and tuberculosis vaccines.
The Institute’s governing board has also been inaugurated, with Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah as Chairman, and other members including Prof. William Ampofo, Dr. Baffuor Awuah, Mustapha Tawiah Kumah, Dr. Daniel Gyingiri Achel, Ms. Frederica Sala Illiasu, Dr. Delese Darko, Prof. Alex Dodoo, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Kofi Nsiah-Poku, Prof. Kofi Opoku Nti, Prof. Gordon A. Awandare, and Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson.
In conclusion, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of the National Vaccine Institute to Ghana, Africa, and the world, noting that vaccine production is an essential part of the country’s economic development plan and will be a significant contributor to the continent’s public health goals.
By Vincent Kubi