Professor Alex Dodoo, Director-General of Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), has disclosed that Ghana does not have men and women capable of helping to transform global discussions and issues.
Speaking on the issue of standardisation, he noted that a crucial element to this is dependent on how government can exploit the creative potential of citizens to aid in the development of the country.
He made this revelation following the approval of malaria vaccine, known as Mosquirix, after its Clinical trials at Kintampo Health Research Centre, Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, and Navrongo Health Research Centre.
The GSA Director General explained that that the first-ever malaria vaccine, tested and approved for public use was made in Ghana. That notwithstanding, he indicated that it has taken years for it to be globally recognized.
“The point I want to make is as a republic, we don’t have the men and women able to transform global discussions and issues. How are we exploiting their creative potential to move our country forward? At the GSA, in the era of Covid-19, what I said is the whole world has moved into two words – pragmatism and agility.
“Somewhere in the early 80s and 90s, Ghana was the first country which put malaria vaccines into human beings. On October 6, the World Health Organization said malaria vaccines should be used globally. Yes, this vaccine was given a positive opinion by the European Union but they said we need to be sure that this can work”.
Professor Alex Dodoo
Prof Dodoo recounted that the health minister in May 2019, stated that the country will do the “field implementation trial”. As at the time, he revealed that countries such as Kenya and Malawi “came on board”.
“I was fortunate to be the Chair for the global vaccine safety panel for Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme. Thankfully, less than 3 years down the line, we have reached a stage where we are saying vaccine saves lives. Malaria vaccines will save lives but it was “Made in Ghana”. The first human who got it is from Ghana, Kintampo in the Bono East Region”.
Professor Alex Dodoo
Creativity of middle and lower-level person
Prof Dodoo advised that it is time for the country to focus its attention on person who can deliver on the job. According to him, the creative potential of this country comes “from the Middle level and lower-level people”.
“When you meet problems, forget about big English and say this is Ghana, we have a situation. We need water to run to people’s houses. We have a container called Veronica bucket. How do we purpose it? A lot of the time, our discourse is too much of big English that the people we need to carry along get lost.
“We the academics put our intelligence together and write a nice paper, get professorship and talk big”.
Professor Alex Dodoo
To ensure talents are recognized, Prof Dodoo emphasized on the important role GSA, as a regulator, plays to actualize this.
Prof Dodoo revealed that Ghana has proven that it is capable of being innovative and proved that “in the Covid era that are continuing”. He, however, questioned whether when it “comes to vaccines”, institutions such as GSA or Food and Drugs Authority will always be the leading agency.
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