Ghana is seeking to strengthen its biosafety and regulatory systems as part of a broader strategy to position itself as a regional centre for vaccine research, development and manufacturing, with health and regulatory authorities calling for internationally aligned oversight across the entire vaccine value chain.
The call was made at a stakeholder workshop on “Vaccine Development and Manufacturing in Ghana: Regulatory Readiness” held in Accra, where government agencies, regulators, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and development partners assessed the country’s preparedness for local vaccine production.
Speaking at the workshop, Chief Executive Officer of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), Mr Kwame Dei Asamoah-Okyere, said Ghana’s ambition to become a vaccine manufacturing hub would require a robust, science-based regulatory framework capable of protecting public health while supporting innovation and investment.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa’s heavy reliance on imported vaccines and highlighted the need for countries to develop local manufacturing capacity and stronger health security systems.
“Our shared commitment is to make Ghana a vaccine development and manufacturing hub in sub-Saharan Africa to meet national, regional and continental needs and reduce dependence on foreign vaccine supplies,” he said.
Mr Asamoah-Okyere noted that while medicine regulation has received considerable attention, biosafety regulation remains a critical but often overlooked component of vaccine development.
He explained that the NBA, under the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831), is responsible for ensuring the safe development, handling and use of genetically modified organisms and biotechnology-derived products.
According to him, emerging technologies such as gene therapies, viral-vector vaccines, biosimilars and gene-edited medicines require effective regulatory oversight from research through manufacturing and deployment.
He disclosed that the NBA and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) have begun discussions to clarify institutional responsibilities across the vaccine development pipeline and to align Ghana’s regulatory approach with international best practices.
The workshop is expected to identify regulatory gaps and develop a roadmap for strengthening oversight within Ghana’s vaccine ecosystem.
Representing the Minister of Health, Dr Daniel Amaning, Director of the Pharmacy Unit at the Ministry, said the government views vaccine development and manufacturing as a strategic priority for improving access to quality vaccines and strengthening national health security.
He urged stakeholders to develop a regulatory framework that clearly defines institutional roles, promotes inter-agency coordination and supports the entire vaccine value chain.
“The framework should support the entire vaccine value chain with clear governance, accountability and sustainable implementation arrangements,” he said.
Development partners also emphasised the importance of regulatory reforms in attracting investment into the pharmaceutical sector.
Mr Jasper Sablah, Component Manager of the PharmAccess Ghana Programme at GIZ, said the European Union and the German Government are supporting Ghana’s pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing ecosystem through a programme running from 2024 to 2028.
He identified biosafety regulation as one of the key institutional gaps requiring urgent attention to support research, manufacturing and international collaboration.
The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) also underscored the importance of regulatory readiness, with Mr Paramount Eli, representing the Institute’s Chief Executive Officer, saying vaccine manufacturing cannot succeed without a strong and internationally recognised regulatory system.
“Regulatory readiness is not merely a technical requirement but a strategic investment in national health security, industrial development and economic transformation,” he said.
Participants agreed that stronger collaboration among regulators, researchers, manufacturers and development partners would be essential to establishing a coordinated regulatory framework capable of supporting Ghana’s ambition to become a trusted vaccine manufacturing hub for sub-Saharan Africa.
