Government has received proposals from three Ghanaian companies that are working to produce Covid-19 vaccines locally. The proposals also include their rollout plans, among others.
Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, who revealed this to journalists in Accra this week, said the companies have already prepared their factories for take-off, awaiting government’s approval of their plans.
Though the Minister did not give out the names of the companies, he said members of a committee constituted by government to produce an action plan on how the country can develop and manufacture its own vaccines, have already visited some of them.
“There are about three or so local companies who have already started preparing factories for Covid-19 Vaccines in Ghana. The committee have visited one of them and I am yet to visit the other one. They have sent proposal to the committee and they are having serious engagements with the committee,” the Minister noted.
He said the committee is chaired by renowned scientist and former Minister for Environment, Science and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng.
The committee he said will guide and make recommendations on the initiatives to the Ministry of Health for review.
It would be recalled that in his 24th address to the nation on measures taken by government to curtail the spread of Coronavirus in Ghana, President Akufo-Addo announced that he had constituted a committee to prepare the country for local production of vaccines, especially Covid-vaccines.
Prioritising the fight against the deadly virus, Agyeman-Manu revealed that Akufo-Addo is poised to ensure the manufacturing of local covid-19 vaccines.
“The president wants us to continue to do the 13 or traditional vaccine administered in the country. so covid is the priority immediately, but beyond that, we will continue to expand development.
“All the vaccines can be used feasible depending on what technology you are using, so it will depend on the manufacturers and the technologies that they are using,” the Minister stated.
By Jeorge Wilson Kingson || ghananewsonline.com.gh
