President Akufo-Addo and a high-level international delegation are visiting the German Cooperation in Germany to broker partnerships to establish a Covid-19 vaccine ‘fill-and-finish’ plant in Ghana.

A press release from the Cooperation indicated that “the high-level delegation visit to Germany and neighbouring countries is intended to deepen partnerships with European companies and the academia.”

“Together with Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo and his peers – President Macky Sall of Senegal, and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, the delegation will attend the launch of a BioNTech model production facility for mRNA vaccines in Marburg, Germany on 16^th February.”

The visit on Tuesday “comes in the quest by governments of the world to seek for solutions that address the inadequate access to Covid-19 vaccines for their populations.”

According to the German Cooperation, “With initial funding of €5 million from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), high-level discussions are underway to transform Ghana into a leading Pan African vaccine producer in the Sub-region.”

It added that “Government of Ghana already set-up a Presidential Vaccine Manufacturing Committee headed by Ghana’s Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng.”

“To further protect citizens from the pandemic and promote wellbeing, this important initiative was born. Also importantly, it will ensure limited dependence on vaccine production outside Africa and the corresponding challenges of planning quantities and schedules of vaccine supplies,” portions of the release stated.

According to the release, the Presidential Manufacturing Committee in Ghana has prepared a 10-year roadmap for local vaccine manufacturing with the help of the German Development Cooperation.

It was also observed that, in addition to the country's indigenous Covid-19 vaccine manufacturing, Ghana is also expected to “expand into a National Vaccine Institute to oversee the development of the vaccine industry in Ghana.”

“The Ghana Government has already demonstrated commitment to the establishment of the vaccine industry, and Ghana is expected to produce its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines by early 2024; it will then scale up into the production of other vaccines for the country and the sub-region,” the release said.