President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said BioNTech, a German biotechnology company, has agreed to contribute to the construction of a modular production facility for vaccines in Ghana.
The vaccine manufacturing plant–initially, the fill and finish plant–is a pan-African project, comprising Senegal and Rwanda to be located in Ghana.
As President Akufo-Addo together with Macky Sall of Senegal and Paul Kagame of Rwanda will travel to Marburg, Germany on the 16th February, to inspect the production facilities for the construction of the plant.
Speaking at the 73rd Annual New Year School and Conference at the University of Ghana, Legon, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana is in the process of establishing domestic manufacturing plants for fill, finish and packaging of COVID-19 vaccines.
President Akufo-Addo said “BioNTech and Pfizer would also contribute to the construction of a modular production facility for other vaccines such as those for malaria and tuberculosis in Ghana.
Delivering a speech on the theme, “COVID-19 and Socio-Economic Dynamics in Ghana”, the President stated that the pandemic has illustrated vividly the need for self-reliance in all areas of social and economic life.
“That is why the government encouraged and facilitated the domestic manufacture of personal protective equipment at the height of their global shortages, which has enabled Ghanaian companies, today, to be exporting such products within the ECOWAS Region. It is key that we also break the cycle of dependence on foreigners in the fields of science and medicine, as well,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo reiterated that Ghana should never be in the situation “of beggars that we were at the height of the pandemic, when we could not access vaccines, which were being hoarded by the rich, developed nations of the world. Charity, they quite rightly say, begins at home.”
He urged all Ghanaians to get vaccinated to end the spread of the virus in the country, as the science indicates that getting vaccinated “is the most efficient way to defeat the virus and go back to our normal way of life, re-open fully our economy, and return our nation onto the path of progress and prosperity.”
The President indicated that the government had secured considerable quantities of vaccines for the country, numbering nearly 26 million doses so far, with more on the way.
“Thus far, a total of ten million, four hundred and fifty-one thousand, six hundred and sixty-two (10,451,662) vaccine doses have been administered. Seven million and seventy thousand, seven hundred and nineteen (7,070,719) persons have received at least one jab, with three million, three hundred and eighty thousand, nine hundred and forty-nine (3,380,943) persons fully vaccinated. So, I entreat all those who have not been vaccinated to do so. Our responsibility to one another requires that we be vaccinated,” he added.