Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the Ministry of Health to investigate GH¢13 million spent by the National Vaccine Institute on training, seminars and conferences in 2025.
The directive followed the Institute’s appearance before the Committee on Friday, October 9, 2026, to respond to findings in the 2025 Auditor-General’s Report.
The report indicated that the Institute’s financial position had shifted from a profit of GH¢36 million to a loss of GH¢21 million within the financial year.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute, Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, told the Committee that the expenditure covered training programmes involving partnerships with eight universities, as well as meetings and other engagements.
A representative of the Institute explained that gatherings involving the partner universities were classified as training activities.
“Training and conferences and seminars is about GH¢13 million. We have partnerships with about eight universities in the country, so whenever we organise meetings that bring all the universities together, that falls under trainings,” the representative said.
The Institute also cited a vaccine investment forum organised to bring bankers together to discuss financing options for vaccine manufacturing, which requires substantial capital.
“Last year, we organised a vaccine investment forum where we brought the bankers because vaccine manufacturing is capital intensive,” the representative added.
However, PAC Chairperson Abena Osei-Asare questioned the amount spent on the activities and asked the Ministry of Health to scrutinise the expenditure.
“Training and conferences alone is GH¢13 million. Can you share with us what kind of training and conferences you attended that in a year, you incur GH¢13 million?” she asked.
She described the GH¢13.1 million spent on conferences and seminars as high for a single financial year and appealed to the Health Minister to investigate how the funds were utilised.
“Yes, but you understand that GH¢13.1 million for conferences and seminars is a bit on the high side for one financial year. Respectfully, Minister, please look into it for us,” she said.
The Ministry of Health is expected to examine the expenditure following the Committee’s directive.
By:Rachael Djabakie