We have a vaccine manufacturing strategy for Ghana – FDA

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) says Ghana has a vaccine manufacturing strategy that will enable the country to fully establish a vaccine manufacturing plant.

Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show (ABS) on Thursday, Delese Mimi Darko, chief executive officer of the FDA said, “Definitely, that is the president’s number one priority. At least I got involved about a year ago and actually, we have gone down a bit on this because of all the activities that we are having to do to try and catch up with the disease…”

She added, “We actually have a vaccine manufacturing strategy for Ghana. I am part of the team, Noguchi is part of the team, a few more researchers and the industry is part of the team. And we are looking to fully establish a vaccine manufacturing plant in Ghana. 

“Maybe while research is still going on, we are planning to have some industries and we already have one that is up and coming; it’s nearly done. We are monitoring that one; that can even do fill-finish. So they get the bulk vaccine, they will fill it and we have it at least finished it up here [in Ghana].” 

Delese Mimi Darko said Ghana is looking at producing its own COVID-19 vaccine, adding “In the meantime, we’ve engaged a committee and the president is sitting on our backs to ensure that this goes on. That would look at researching into our own vaccine. We have good enough research institutions here.

“We have top-class researchers in this country and they are respected everywhere and above all, we have a regulatory agency that is a centre of excellence in clinical trials in Africa. So with this, we put together and with the backing of the president, I think we will get there. We have started and we’ll make sure that we do this before another pandemic,” she added.

COVAX facility

Ghana on Wednesday (24 February) took delivery of 600,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines made by the Serum Institute of India (Covishield).

This is the first consignment of vaccines acquired through the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX) which Ghana, among 92 countries, has signed unto.

A statement issued by the information ministry said the COVID-19 vaccination will be conducted in phases among segmented populations.