The Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, says the government has finalised a bill tabled before Parliament to set up a National Vaccine Institute.

Speaking in an interview with the state broadcaster, the GBC, he stated that there are discussions for collaborations to start the local production of vaccines.

“We have finished a draft bill that is going to be laid in Parliament to set up what we call the Vaccine Institute.”

“Engagements have been made with the pharmaceutical industry, and a few have been selected to pair with foreigners that are coming in,” he revealed.

President Akufo-Addo, in his 26th Covid-19 update, stated that government has committed US$25 million for the establishment of a National Vaccine Institute to spearhead the manufacture of vaccines to meet national and regional needs.

He said the Institute will deliver six clear mandates; establishing local vaccine manufacturing plants, deepening Research and Development (R&D) for vaccines in Ghana, and upgrading and strengthening the FDA.

The establishment of the Vaccine Institute is based on a recommendation by a committee chaired by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, which was tasked to investigate Ghana’s potential as a vaccine manufacturing hub.

Owing to this, the Dormaa Central legislator assured that plans have been advanced, and within the next two years, the Institute should be completed.

“We’ve had conversations with people from outside to team up with the selected few to be able to start manufacturing vaccines in our country.”

“We’re going to start with what we call the ‘Fill and Finish’ for a start and go forward to research.”

A group of highly specialised medical practitioners has recommended that Ghana and Africa be allowed to lead the world in the fight against the Virus.

In a petition to President Akufo-Addo, the Concerned Ghanaian Doctors explained that “all the relevant metrics show that Ghana and Africa at large, have done better than most of the world with respect to the pandemic even before the advent of these vaccines. Therefore, the rest of the world may be rather to learn from us.”

They also suggested for government to consider “further research into locally made remedies and treatments for Covid-19.”

“The treatment guidelines that the Ghana Health Service put together for the treatment of Covid-19 seem to have really been effective, enabling most of the peripheral hospitals to treat Covid-19 positive cases,” they said.