The Presidential Committee on Vaccine Production says it will need over $200 million to establish a fully Vaccine Production plant in the country, capable of producing COVID-19 vaccines and 13 other vaccines for domestic use and export.
The Committee, led by Prof Frimpong Boateng, whose task is grouped into short, medium and long term, said it would take about ten years to establish a complete vaccine plant in Ghana.
Speaking at a stakeholder meeting with the Presidential Press Corps at Alisa Hotel on Friday, Prof Frimpong Boateng said the Committee has two priorities — first is to facilitate the production of COVID-19 vaccines by next year (2022), and secondly, focus on the long term vision of establishing a complete vaccine manufacturing plant in the country.
A consortium of three Ghanaian pharmaceutical companies, comprising Ernest Chemist, Kinaphama and Danadams Pharmaceuticals, is committed to “filling and finishing” bulk vaccines from a yet-to-be selected vaccine production company.
Professor Frimpong Boateng said the project, which is private sector-led, had received requests from international vaccine manufacturing companies to set up plants in Ghana to produce various vaccines for local use and the sub-region.
He said, currently, the Committee is in talks with five vaccines production companies to ascertain which of them would agree to leverage its technology to produce COVID-19 vaccines in the country.
Professor Frimpong Boateng said the government’s commitment to guarantee an off-take had generated interest among many vaccines manufacturing companies to set up plants in Ghana.
Dr William Ampofo, a urologist and member of the Committee, said vaccine manufacturing is a complex process that needs careful scrutiny by international regulators and Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority.
He said COVID-19 has come to stay. The country needed to manufacture its vaccines to keep itself away from the politics and economies associated with the procurement of vaccines.
Dr Nsiah Asare, a member of the Committee, who responded to questions, said the government had received favourable responses from foreign Vaccine manufacturing companies — Merck, ApiJect and Rommeleg; Pharmaceutical Science LLC, II, USA; AMORPHICAL BIO. TECH, Israel and IDT Biologika, Germany, and many more.
He said the Committee would set up a national vaccine institute whose responsibility would be to facilitate and coordinate the various sectors and specialities in producing a vaccine plant.
The production of the vaccines locally will ease the country’s from the frustrations associated with the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and create decent jobs for the country’s university graduates.
The Presidential Advisor on the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, who underscored the importance of engaging the media as part of its stakeholder consultations, urged the media to educate Ghanaians on the use of vaccines, as well as demystify the conspiracy associated with it.
As Ghana graduates from Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), it will be costly for the country to procure vaccines for its citizens. It is estimated that various types of influenzas surface every ten years.
He urged Ghanaians to believe in the yet-to-be made Ghana vaccines as the country had the expertise to bring the project to fruition.
The Committee on Thursday met with Academia, Ghana Association of Industries and others.
It will also meet with the Parliament Select Committees on Health, Trade and Industries as part of its stakeholder consultations.
Rex Mainoo Yeboah, ISD
