Ghana has set a target to establish a vaccine manufacturing plant in the next year.
“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 passed establishing this institute that is to coordinate the production of vaccine," the Chairman of the Committee, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has revealed.
He added that "This is an emergency and we need to work so that by next year or so, we will get a vaccine made in Ghana."
President Akufo Addo, few months ago, set up the National Vaccine Development Committee to formulate a concrete plan of action towards vaccine development and manufacturing in Ghana.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement session to provide update on progress of work, Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng said, 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 indicated.
He also noted that their partners in Europe have helped to locate a manufacturing plant, adding that government has given the go ahead for an uptake, therefore the plant would be in Ghana soon.
He emphasised that the Committee’s mandate is to keep the institution running.
“This Committee, we have a very short mandate. By the end of the year, we should get the institute running and then other people will take over the work we are doing and establish the institute and let it run. I don’t think most of us will be part of the new team that is coming.
He added that to keep the institution running when another government takes over, “the Committee is under the office of the President.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ghana Covid-19 response team, Dr Anarfi Asamoah Baah says government is facilitating discussion with manufacturers of some of the Covid-19 vaccines to enable local pharmaceutical companies copy and produce it here under a fill and finish initiative.
Latest Stories
-
Harnessing intuition, reasoning, and memory to navigate the AI age
25 mins -
Azumah Nelson Sports Complex: Gov’t advised to terminate project contract
41 mins -
Dumsor will be a thing of the past soon – Bawumia assures
48 mins -
Why do you always run to the media? – EC quizzes IMANI
55 mins -
Francis Doku charges government to market traditional festivals
1 hour -
Ghana records an average of 9,900 snakebites annually
1 hour -
Fella Makafui sets record straight on relationship with D-Black
1 hour -
CEGENSA celebrates mentors for nurturing UG’s upcoming female leaders in academia
1 hour -
Dr. Bawumia begins Eastern regional tour with religious leaders in Akropong
1 hour -
Akosombo Dam Spillage: Would victims have been ignored if they were in swing constituencies – Ablakwa fumes
1 hour -
Have capacity to influence policy – former MiDA boss to engineers
2 hours -
Silva to leave Chelsea at end of season
2 hours -
Ghana’s Online Freedom of Expression in peril, citizens’ rights eroded – Londa Report
2 hours -
CAF Confed Cup: Karim Zito blames semi-final exit on lack of experience
2 hours -
CAFCC: Dreams FC didn’t lose because of stage fright – Karim Zito
2 hours