President John Dramani Mahama has pledged government support to accelerate local vaccine manufacturing in Ghana, aiming to position the country as a regional hub.

This was announced by the Ministry of Health on their Facebook page yesterday in the aftermath of the Ghana Vaccine Manufacturing Investment Forum under the theme: “Mobilising Sustainable Financing to Accelerate Vaccine Development and Manufacturing in Ghana,” where the president served as Special Guest of Honour.

According to the information shared on the Ministry’s page, President John Dramani Mahama, pledged government support to accelerate local vaccine manufacturing in Ghana, aiming to position the country as a regional hub.

He announced an additional GHC 50 million in seed capital for the National Vaccine Institute, bringing total government funding to GHC 75 million.

He noted that this investment is intended to address challenges in vaccine manufacturing, particularly access to financing, and to leverage Ghana's progress in health regulation, research, and local pharmaceutical production. The President added that the government’s support for vaccine manufacturing aligns with global efforts to strengthen health systems and promote sustainable development.

On Wednesday August 3 2025, the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), hosted the Ghana Vaccine Manufacturing Investment Forum.

The event brought together a cross-section of government officials, development partners, pharmaceutical manufacturers, research institutions, and local and international financial institutions to explore strategies for funding Ghana’s vaccine production ambitions.

Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, emphasized Ghana’s determination to move from dependency to self-reliance in vaccine access and production. “Ghana will not beg for vaccines. Ghana will make them,” he declared.

The Minister outlined the urgent need for $115 million in financing to support two key domestic manufacturers, DEK Vaccines Ltd and Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd, to reach operational scale.

He also noted that Ghana’s scientific institutions including Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, KCCR, and CSIR are already developing vaccine candidates and require capital to advance their work.

The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with both local and international stakeholders to realize Ghana’s vision of vaccine self-sufficiency and pandemic preparedness. “The next pandemic will not wait. But neither will Ghana. We are ready to manufacture, ready to regulate, and ready to lead,” the Minister concluded.

The forum featured breakout sessions aimed at building investor confidence and securing partnerships. It also highlighted key investment incentives such as guaranteed national demand, access to regional markets, strong political support, and tax benefits.

Two months ago, the government paid $24.5 million to GAVI to secure a regular supply of vaccines, according to the Health Minister, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.

During a press conference on Friday, July 18, at the Government Accountability Series held at the Presidency in Accra, he announced that the government has completed full payment to the vaccine alliance for the purchase of vaccines.

GAVI is a global alliance including both public and private partnerships that helps vaccinate children in lower-income countries against deadly infectious diseases.

It brings together governments, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, the World Bank, and vaccine manufacturers to improve access to immunisation.

“This year, we increased the budget for vaccines by 46 per cent. As of today, we have fully paid the country’s $24.5 million to GAVI.”

He mentioned that the payment to GAVI emphasises the government’s commitment to ensuring excellent healthcare in the country by curbing shortages of vital vaccines aimed at preventing disease outbreaks.

“This prompt payment will help ensure we avoid recurring shortages of critical vaccines, which can lead to outbreaks,” he said.

The Minister reiterated that by August, Ghana would receive hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses ready to reach every community across the nation.

“As we say, investing in our children’s health today is securing Ghana’s tomorrow,” he stated, adding that, “we are not resting on our achievements.

"The government will continue to prioritise and invest in immunisation to protect every child and build a healthier nation for generations to come.”

Reiterating the vision to make Ghana a vaccine manufacturing hub, Mr Akandoh noted that,

“In this regard, the National Vaccine Institute is collaborating with the regulatory authority and pharmaceutical industry stakeholders to bring this plan to reality.”

His comments emphasise President Mahama’s remarks on February 7 this year, where he communicated his vision of making Ghana the pharmaceutical hub of Africa while delivering the State of the Nation Address. He declared,

“My administration is committed to ensuring that we establish a world-class pharmaceutical sector that can meet the needs of not just our country, but the entire continent”

“I am happy to inform you that one of our private sector partners has obtained market marking the next authorisation from Ghana’s FDA to produce Snake Anti-Venom Serum on a commercial scale, a step in our goal to shift Ghana from a consumer to a producer.”

Also, on May 15, Mr Akandoh cited that Ghana was positioning itself to produce its vaccine with the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute and the readiness of the country’s pharmaceutical company.

“Ghana is strategically positioned now to manufacture its vaccines. We have established the National Vaccine Institute, and our pharmaceutical industry is ready to lead the way.”

“As we all recall during the pandemic, there were countries that looked us in the eye and said they would not allow the export of vaccines until they had satisfied their citizens. We must learn from that experience and prepare adequately for future pandemics,” he remarked.

In his speech during an appearance at the Global Summit on Health and Prosperity through Immunisation in Brussels in June, Mr Akandoh announced the government's vision to produce 60% of the country’s vaccines.

“At this point, we do not want to wait for the vaccines to reach us; we must begin to manufacture vaccines ourselves.”

“Our goal is to locally produce about 60% of the vaccines Ghana needs.”

In a related development, Ghana on 19th June received its first shipment of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to protect the health of girls and women against cervical cancer.

This information was made known by the lead agency responsible for procuring and shipping the vaccines, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ghana, on Tuesday, June 18.

According to UNICEF, over 2.5 million additional doses of the HPV vaccine will arrive in the coming weeks, following the initial batch of 441,860 doses.

The incoming vaccines will be utilized in a nationwide immunisation campaign led by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The campaign exercise is scheduled for September this year and will span five days. The vaccine will be offered for free to girls turning 9 to 14 years old in the country.

It added, "By including the HPV vaccine in the national Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) routine vaccines, Ghana is taking a significant step to protect future generations from cervical cancer."

Meanwhile, it will be recalled that on 8th June, Director for Public Health at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Franklyn Asiedu Bekoe, announced that Ghana will soon experience relief in response to the surging cases of monkeypox (Mpox), as the government is engaging international organisations for assistance.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, June 7, Dr. Franklyn Asiedu Bekoe, disclosed that the country is already in talks with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to receive MPOX vaccines.

According to him, the GHS has submitted the requirements for the vaccines. He noted that, unlike before, the country’s current trend of infection has given Ghana the room to receive vaccines.

"We're engaging WHO and the Africa CDC so that we get the vaccines. Somewhere last year, Ghana didn't have any established human-to-human transmission, so we do not qualify. Now that we have human-to-human transmission. The idea is that we will be able to identify a clear group who will benefit from the vaccine," he added.

About GAVI and Ghana's relations with the alliance

GAVI was established in 2000, bringing together different countries to contribute and help support children in lower-income countries against deadly infectious diseases such as polio, measles, Hepatitis B, Yellow fever, Meningitis A, Pneumonia, Diphtheria and HPV among others.

The primary reason behind GAVI has been children; however, over the years, the alliance has extended its goodwill to other groups, such as HPV vaccines to prevent cervical cancer, targeting adolescent girls.

Also, during outbreaks of disease such as yellow fever and meningitis, GAVI provides older age groups with vaccines.

A case in point is during pandemics (like COVID-19), GAVI helped fund and distribute vaccines for entire populations globally, not just children.

It supports snake anti-venom serum production, which benefits rural adults and farmers.

Since the founding of GAVI in 2000, the United States has been one of the major donors, contributing over $8 billion to its programs, and this accounts for roughly 26.7% of GAVI’s overall funding to date.