Ghana eyes 2027 launch of first locally produced vaccine with $50 million investment push

• Ghana is expected to produce its first locally manufactured tetanus-diphtheria vaccine by 2027.

• The National Vaccine Institute has signed a technology transfer agreement with Indonesia's PT Bio Farma to support production.

• The project forms part of Ghana's plan to achieve vaccine self-sufficiency before Gavi support ends in 2030.

Ghana is on course to manufacture its first locally produced vaccine by 2027 as part of efforts to strengthen the country's health security and reduce dependence on imported vaccines.

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The Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, disclosed that the institute has signed a technology transfer agreement with Indonesian pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma to produce tetanus-diphtheria vaccines in Ghana.

According to news outlet Graphic, Dr. Sodzi-Tettey said the vaccine would become the first to be manufactured locally under Ghana's vaccine production agenda.

The initiative forms part of the country’s broader strategy to build a sustainable vaccine manufacturing industry before support from the global vaccine alliance, Gavi, ends in 2030.

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According to Dr. Sodzi-Tettey, the NVI is working with local pharmaceutical companies, including Atlantic Life Sciences and DEK Vaccines Limited, to establish vaccine production capacity in the country.

He explained that significant investment is required to make local vaccine manufacturing a reality, with production and facility development expected to cost more than $100 million.

As a result, the institute is seeking partnerships with financial institutions such as the Ghana EXIM Bank, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

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The vaccine programme received a major boost recently when President John Dramani Mahama allocated an additional $50 million in seed funding to support vaccine manufacturing, research and development, and compliance with international regulatory standards.

Ghana currently contributes to vaccine procurement through co-financing arrangements with Gavi but is expected to fully fund its vaccine needs by 2030.