Ghana is working towards producing its first locally manufactured vaccine by 2027, with preparations for the production of a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine already underway at Atlantic Lifesciences Limited.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, disclosed this to journalists in Parliament, explaining that the initiative was being pursued through a partnership between Ghanaian research institutions, local manufacturers and an Indonesian pharmaceutical company.
He said the project was part of efforts to build Ghana’s domestic vaccine production capacity and reduce dependence on imported vaccines.
“Ghana is on track to manufacture the first vaccine in 2027, and that is tetanus-diphtheria vaccine,” Dr Sodzi-Tettey said.
According to him, the NVI had brought together experts from Ghana, including representatives of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and private-sector manufacturers, who travelled to Indonesia to support the transfer of technology needed for local vaccine production.
He explained that the team signed a technology transfer agreement and established cooperation between the regulatory authorities of Ghana and Indonesia to facilitate the process.
Dr Sodzi-Tettey described the agreement as an important step towards achieving the country’s vaccine manufacturing objectives. He noted that although the expenditure associated with the engagement might be recorded in financial statements as workshop or meeting costs, the outcome had significant financial benefits for the project.
“If you want to analyse where that falls in a financial statement, it will appear to you as a workshop or as a meeting, but that meeting had been very critical because then it freed up about US$400,000 from the Indonesian government to support the vaccine manufacturing in the country,” he said.
He further revealed that most of the materials required for the project had arrived in Ghana, while production activities were ongoing at Atlantic Lifesciences Limited.
Four institutions lead vaccine manufacturing partnership
Dr Sodzi-Tettey said the project was being undertaken through a collaboration involving the National Vaccine Institute, Atlantic Lifesciences Limited, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and Indonesia’s PT Bio Farma.
The partnership is expected to bring together Ghana’s scientific research capabilities and manufacturing infrastructure with technical expertise from Indonesia to support the development of local vaccine production.
He expressed hope that the collaboration would produce the country’s first locally manufactured tetanus-diphtheria vaccine next year, provided the project remains on schedule.
“The bulk has arrived in the country; the manufacturing processes are underway at Atlantic Lifesciences. It is a partnership between National Vaccine Institute, Atlantic Lifesciences, Noguchi Memorial Institute and PT Bio Farma of Indonesia, and God willing, next year we should be able to come up with a vaccine,” he said.
The initiative forms part of Ghana’s broader strategy to establish a sustainable vaccine manufacturing industry by investing in technical skills, improving regulatory systems and expanding local production capacity.
Beyond the ongoing tetanus-diphtheria vaccine project, the NVI CEO said the institute had additional plans for the seed funding pledged by President John Dramani Mahama.
The proposed investments are expected to support other initiatives aimed at advancing vaccine research, strengthening partnerships and expanding the country’s capacity to manufacture vaccines locally.
If the target is achieved, Ghana’s planned production of a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine by 2027 would represent an important step towards reducing reliance on foreign supplies and building a domestic vaccine manufacturing industry.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar.