Akufo-Addo’s National Vaccine Institute promise sceptical — Dr. Thomas Anaba

The Executive Director of Africa Center for Health Policy Research and Analysis Dr. Thomas Anaba has cast doubt on government's intention to establish a National Vaccine Institute as part of efforts to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines locally.

He said government has made such promises in the past but none has materialized yet.

He said the planned National Vaccine Institute can only be achieved in about 15 years, hence the government must in the short to medium term form strategic partnerships with other countries for the manufacture of vaccines.

“I was sceptical about the 88 hospitals and research centres, and indeed they have not yet materialized. So how do I believe in something that we are going to spend $25 million on? Let's go in and partner with other countries to get the vaccine made for us while we think of a long-term strategic plan maybe, 15 years so by 15 years time, Ghana has its own laboratory that can manufacture vaccines,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo during his 26th COVID-19 address noted that the Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng-led committee tasked to investigate the prospects of Ghana manufacturing its own vaccine recommended that a National Vaccine Institute is built to lead efforts in research and manufacture of vaccines locally.

The president said government is committed to injecting seed funding of US$25 million this year into the whole enterprise.

“The Committee I established, under the leadership of the world-renowned Ghanaian scientist, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, to investigate Ghana's potential as a vaccine manufacturing hub, to meet national and regional needs, has presented its preliminary report which, amongst others, recommends the establishment of a National Vaccine Institute to spearhead this development. Government has committed to inject seed funding of some twenty-five million United States dollars (US$25 million) this year into this whole enterprise,” Nana Addo said.

The plan will be one of the most ambitious ones set by the government in the health sector.

---citinewsroom