By: Bright Ntramah
President Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of a 120-million-dollar vaccine manufacturing facility at Medie in the Ga West Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The project is expected to be completed in 2024.
It will produce its first vaccine in 2025.
President Akufo-Addo, reiterated Ghana’s resolve to work with other African countries to make the continent self-sufficient and reliable vaccine manufacturing hub, to wean itself from foreign geopolitics.
The DEK Vaccine Manufacturing factory in Accra represents a significant project aimed at Manufacturing 600 million doses of vaccines annually including vaccines for malaria, HPV, Pneumonia, Rotavirus and Cholera with the full value chain.
Beginning with Fill and Finish, the project will eventually incorporate vaccine manufacturing and production with a plan to construct four Fill and Finish lines that can fill any type of vaccine. Using the state-of-the-Art technology, the Fill and Finish facility will have the capability to fill both mRNA and traditional vaccines.
President Akufo-Addo, called for unity among African countries in order not to be at the mercy of foreign nationalism and geopolitics.
The Managing Director of DEK Vaccines, Dr. Kofi Nsiah Poku, said the factory is designed to have a reserved capacity to cater for emergency and pandemics.
The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, pledged Union’s support to Ghana and Africa to be self-sufficient in vaccine manufacturing.
DEK’s investment of 122-point-six million dollars will complete the first phase of the project providing employment for over 250 full time employees.
