The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, has disclosed that the NVI is making giant strides in its quest to achieve vaccine self-sufficiency in the country’s health delivery.

He said the NVI was mandated to coordinate and supervise research, develop and manufacture vaccines and sera, and for related matters nationally, according to its ACT 1097 2023, in response to the vaccine nationalism that characterised the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Sodzi-Tettey said this during the recent JEAM Leadership Lecture Series, in memory of late President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, instituted and organised by the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS).

The Lecture Series was under the theme, “Advancing Quality Health Systems in Ghana Amidst Global Disruptions.”

He disclosed that vaccines have saved millions of lives from time immemorial, with only one per cent of vaccines used being manufactured in Africa, and described the government’s decision to establish the NVI as bold and forward-thinking.

On its second anniversary, in May, this year, Dr Sodzi-Tettey acknowledged its modest gains as organizational set up, supporting the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to become a World Health Organisation (WHO) Maturity Three Regulatory Agency for vaccine manufacturing and selected two private companies to lead on vaccine manufacturing through a public, private partnership (PPP) model.

He said the NVI facilitated technology transfer for vaccine manufacturing in Ghana between foreign entities and local vaccine manufacturers and established useful partnerships with the European Union, the German Economic Development and Cooperation, GIZ, World Bank, Africa CDC, WHO, and Universities home and abroad, among others.

He indicated that after months of testing, quality assurance and safety checks, the Ghana FDA issued market authorisation to Atlantic Life Sciences (ALS) Limited for the manufacturing of Snake Venom Anti Serum in commercial quantities.

An average of 9,600 snakebite cases were reported between 2015 and 2019 annually, in the country alone, with a fatality rate of 3 per cent, and lifelong disabilities such as amputations and chronic wounds affecting survivors, according to research.

Again, in sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 1 million snakebites result in a mortality between 10,000 and 30,000.

Dr Sodzi-Tettey said plans are advanced for NVI and the ALS Ltd to produce vaccines to meet national expectations and hopefully a continental supply of Snake Venom Anti Serum by producing what Atlantic Life Sciences describes as “a locally produced, affordable, and multi-species targeted polyherbal anti-venom derived from Ghana’s rich biodiversity.”

“NVI aim is to stop the importation of Snake Venom Anti Serum.”

Again, the National Vaccine Institute has convened a meeting of the Atlantic Life Sciences, DEK Vaccines Limited and Noguchi Memorial Institute to kickstart planning towards developing a ‘fill and finish’ product of Tetanus Diphtheria Vaccine, which is most likely to be the first groundbreaking, locally manufactured vaccine.

“The assurance therefore is that the National Vaccine Institute is alive to its mandate and will proactively play its role in support of the President’s vision for effective management of public health emergencies.”

The Ag CEO of NVI disclosed a partnership with UHAS due to its capacity, human resource and infrastructure towards vaccine research and development as recent visit with a team of experts from the European Union and GIZ shows promising partnership.

“To put it mildly, we were all super impressed. So much so that the team has mobilized initial support to enhance R&D capacity under the PharmaVax project financed by the EU and BMZ.

“We are hopeful that the human resource capacity available here at UHAS will be tapped efficiently to support other institutions across the country,” he added.