Accra: The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has called for the establishment of a robust, science-based, and internationally aligned regulatory framework to support Ghana's ambition of becoming a regional hub for vaccine research, development, and manufacturing. Mr Kwame Dei Asamoah-Okyere, Chief Executive Officer of the NBA, made the call at a stakeholder workshop on, 'Vaccine Development and Manufacturing in Ghana: Regulatory Readiness,' in Accra. The workshop brought together representatives of government ministries, regulatory institutions, academia, research organisations, the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare professionals, and development partners to deliberate on Ghana's preparedness for local vaccine production.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Asamoah-Okyere said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed Africa's dependence on imported vaccines and underscored the need for countries to build resilient health systems and local manufacturing capacity. He said Ghana had since taken significant steps towards becoming a regional hub for vaccine development and manufacturing, stressing that the country's success would depend on an effective regulatory system that protected public health, workers and the environment while promoting innovation.
Mr Asamoah-Okyere highlighted the importance of biosafety regulation in vaccine development, which has received less recognition compared to medicine regulation. Under the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831), the NBA is responsible for ensuring the safe development, transfer, handling, and use of genetically modified organisms and biotechnology-derived products. He explained that the new generation of biological medicines required effective biosafety oversight throughout research, development, manufacturing, and deployment.
He disclosed that the NBA and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) recently held bilateral and regulatory roundtable discussions to define institutional roles and regulatory oversight across the vaccine development pipeline, drawing lessons from international regulatory systems. He expressed hope that the workshop would produce a shared understanding of existing regulatory gaps, a draft national regulatory framework and roadmap, and stronger collaboration among institutions responsible for Ghana's vaccine ecosystem.
Dr Daniel Amaning, Director of the Pharmacy Unit at the Ministry of Health, reaffirmed the Government's commitment to vaccine development and manufacturing as a strategic priority for strengthening national health security and improving access to safe and quality vaccines. He urged stakeholders to develop a regulatory framework that clearly defined institutional mandates, promoted inter-agency collaboration, built on existing legal structures, and aligned with international best practices while responding to Ghana's needs.
Mr Jasper Sablah, Component Manager of the PharmAccess Ghana Programme at GIZ, noted that the European Union and the German Government were supporting Ghana to strengthen its pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing ecosystem through a programme from 2024 to 2028. He said the initiative focused on governance and regulation, research and development, skills development, and private sector support to improve the competitiveness of local manufacturers.
Representing the Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Mr Paramount Eli, stressed that lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic had reinforced the need for Ghana to build domestic vaccine manufacturing capacity. He called for stronger collaboration among regulators, researchers, manufacturers, policymakers, and development partners to strengthen Ghana's regulatory systems and align them with global standards. Mr Eli reaffirmed the NVI's commitment to working closely with the NBA, FDA, academia, industry, and development partners to establish a coordinated regulatory system that supported innovation while ensuring public safety and confidence.
The workshop is expected to produce practical recommendations and a roadmap to strengthen Ghana's regulatory readiness and accelerate the country's vision of becoming a trusted regional centre for vaccine development and manufacturing.