The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that Ghana is now strategically positioned to manufacture its own vaccines, following the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute.

Speaking at a press briefing on May 15, 2025, at the Jubilee House in Accra, during a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama by Dr Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC), Akandoh highlighted the significant strides Ghana has made toward vaccine self-sufficiency.

Akandoh noted that Ghana’s local pharmaceutical industry is advancing domestic vaccine production, with the government focused on building a robust healthcare system.

“As we all recall during the pandemic, there were countries that looked us in the eye and said they would not allow the export of vaccines until they had satisfied their own citizens. We must learn from that experience and prepare adequately for future pandemics,” he indicated.

He stressed the need to scale up primary healthcare as part of the ongoing rollout of the Free Primary Healthcare policy, a key initiative under President Mahama’s health agenda.

Akandoh emphasised the need for collaboration to sustain initiatives like the Mahama Cares programme, which could serve as a model for other African nations.

According to an adomonline.com report, Akandoh disclosed that Ghana had received $2.4 million from the Africa-CDC to support primary healthcare, along with $1.6 million for IT and coaching equipment.

He added that 400 epidemiologists had been trained with support from the organisation, with $400,000 raised for the training programme.

However, he said that Ghana’s donor support is declining and the country is expected to exit the Gavi Vaccine Alliance by 2030.

“We need sustainable ways of financing our vaccines. This is one area where collaboration with Africa-CDC is crucial,” he said.

Akandoh also highlighted the launch of the Mahama Cares (Ghana Medical Trust Fund), aimed at easing the financial burden for people living with chronic non-communicable diseases.

He praised the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for attaining a maturity level that positions it as a key player in continental health regulation.

According to him, Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) remains one of the strongest health financing systems in the sub-region, with other African nations drawing lessons from its implementation.

Dr Jean Kaseya, in his remarks, praised President John Dramani Mahama’s leadership and Ghana’s progress in health sector reforms.

“I’m so impressed, so impressed by President Mahama. This is why I told him I would come to visit you in Ghana, and I want the media to say that someone from the African Union, someone who leads health in Africa, is impressed by what Ghana is doing,” he stated.

He reaffirmed the African Union and Africa-CDC’s commitment to supporting Ghana and sharing its success story across the continent.

MRA/AE

Meanwhile, watch GhanaWeb's tour of Odweanoma Paragliding Field below: