President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has provided details of Ghana’s decision to approve the new malaria vaccine, developed by scientists at Oxford University.
The malaria vaccine- R21, which will be administered to newborns and kids up to three years, will help fight malaria which has become a killer disease among children.
The President claimed government gave the approval because the vaccine has proven to be safe.
“The approval was granted, following an extensive series of reviews and further peer reviews of the non-clinical and clinical quality parts of the vaccines. The R21 malaria vaccine, has been approved for use for the immunization of children between 5 months and 36 months against malaria.”
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Moreover, it was revealed by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) that the new malaria vaccine – R21, has received a grant on market authorization and described it as a ‘world changer’. FDA averred that after a thorough evaluation of the quality, efficacy, and safety of the vaccine, it realized that the benefits far outweigh, the risks.
The vaccine was developed by Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.
Akufo-Addo Cuts Sod For Construction Of Vaccine Manufacturing Factory
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut sod for the construction of DEK Vaccines Limited, a vaccine manufacturing factory, in a bid to make Ghana self-sufficient in vaccine production.
This occurred after the completion of the first phase of DEK Vaccines Limited. The project with an investment of $122.6 million, will witness a significant step towards securing the health of Ghanaians, through locally manufactured vaccines that meet global quality standards.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of DEK Vaccines Limited, avowed the completion of the project would enable the production of vaccines that would meet national and regional needs, with a conscious effort in being self-reliant.
“Far from viewing the pandemic as a disaster, before, we were powerless. We in Ghana embrace fully, as well as the lessons it taught us, as well as the direction it is pointing us to. Particularly, it has given us a good sense of how important it is to strengthen our unity in solidarity with our fellow African countries and it has provided us with the motivation, if any needed to be self-reliant.
“We want to achieve self-reliance in vaccine production to meet future, regional, national and continental needs for health security. We shall not then in the future be at the mercy of foreign vaccine nationalism and geopolitics.”
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Dr. Kofi Nsiah-Poku, the Managing Director of DEK Vaccines Limited, revealed that the project when completed, will produce 600 million vaccines per year.
“DEK vaccine limited is a 122 million-dollar investment, with the capacity to produce 600 million doses of various vaccines annually. Vaccine manufacturing is technology and capital-intensive, the WHO has declared a need for preparedness for the next pandemic. This DEK vaccine is designed to have a reserved capacity for any emergency or pandemic, making it special as a socio-economic business venture.”
Dr. Kofi Nsiah-Poku
Due to the partnership of key stakeholders, including the European Union, the project has become a great success. The union has granted 5 million Euros, through the European Investment Bank, to support the production of the vaccines.
According to Irchad Razaaly, the European Union’s Ambassador to Ghana, the union will not relent in providing whatever support is needed by Ghana, in its quest to improve its health sector.
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