The German Development Cooperation and the European Union under the brand ‘Team Europe’, have initiated a collaboration to support implementation of Ghana's first ever major strategic intervention on domestic Covid-19 vaccine production. 

This forms part of a 10-year Government of Ghana vaccine manufacturing roadmap intended to make Ghana a vaccine manufacturing hub in the sub-region.

The partnership will facilitate the upgrade and strengthening of the Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority and contribute to the production of various vaccines, including Ghana's first batch of Covid-19 vaccines.

The ravaging effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have revealed gaps in national health systems and brought many lessons to the fore.

About five million lives have already been lost globally to the pandemic (WHO, 2021). Other adverse impacts include job losses, high cost of living, loss of public revenue, and economic decline. 

As a measure to protect citizensagainst the pandemic, vaccines have now become a high priority on the agenda of many governments globally.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated high demands of the vaccine globally, which exceed supply, Ghana and many other developing countries could not acquire adequate vaccine for their populations. 

Ghana and most African countries could not reach 40% of WHO’s vaccination target at the end of 2021. 

While some other countries have recorded over 50% access to COVID-19 vaccine, only less than 5% of Africa's population was able to access the vaccines at the end of 2021.

The Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Delese Mimi Darko, explained that "this focuses primarily on the FDA and seeks to strengthen the regulatory systems of the A with an objective to maintain requisite WHO and international regulatory standards."

The Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Ghana, Madam Dinkelaker noted, "the pandemic has had severe effects on health and economic development in Ghana. Equal access to vaccines is crucial and Germany is committed to support her endeavour to establish domestic vaccine production. Supporting the FDA Ghana their role in vaccine production and regulation is an important step in the implementation of government's plan.”

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