A thirteen-member Governing Board of the National Vaccine Institute has been sworn into office with a call on the members to make Ghana a vaccine Manufacturing hub, not only for West Africa but the entire continent of Africa.
The Board Chaired by former Deputy Director General of WHO, Dr. Anarfi Asamoah Baah, will facilitate the coordination of all vaccine production and manufacturing activities in the country.
President Akufo-Addo who administered the Oaths of Office, allegiance and Secrecy to members of the Board, pledged government’s unflinching support to them.
The President later inaugurated a Secretariat for the National Vaccine Institute at Cantonments in Accra.
The National Vaccine Institute was established by an Act of Parliament to coordinate and facilitate the capacity of local pharmaceutical companies to fill, finish and package MRA COVID-19 and other vaccines.
The Institute will also facilitate partnership with vaccine research, development and manufacturing, mobilizing resources for vaccine and syringe research development and manufacturing and facilitate the establishment of Domestic Manufacturing Plant and Market Development, among others.
President Akufo-Addo asked the Institute to forge National and multi-national partnership with vaccine development and manufacturing in the areas of funding, clinical trials, technology transfer among others.
He tasked the Board to develop a road map for vaccine development and manufacturing, support the upgrade of laboratory facilities of the FDA to achieve WHO maturity ‘level four’ and international collaboration with Rwanda, Sierra Leone and others on the ‘Fill- Finish project’.
He was confident that the Board will live up to the task ahead of them.
Board Chairman of the Institute, Dr. Anarfi Asamoah Baah, said the Board will advance the Vaccine agenda.
The other members are Chief Executive of the National Vaccine Institute, Prof. William Kwabena Ampofo, Representative of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Baffour-Awuah, Representative of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mustapha Tawiah Kumah, Representative of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and innovation, Dr. Daniel Gyingiri Achel, and Representative of the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, Fredrica Sala Illiasu.
The rest are, Dr. Delese Darko, representative of the Food and Drugs Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo, representative of the Ghana Standards Authority, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, representative of the Ghana Health Service, Kofi Nsiah-Poku, representative of the President of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana, Prof. Kofi Opoku Nti, President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Nominee of the Minister of Health, Professor Gordon A. Awandare, and another Nominee of the Minister of Health, Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE GENERAL STORIES
