Dr. Sodzi-Tettey advocates local vaccine production to secure Ghana’s vaccine self-sufficiency

Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey is the new CEO of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI). He has promised to support research institutions in Ghana. This support aims to help Ghana manufacture vaccines locally.

He spoke to a delegation from the German Embassy, EU, GIZ, and Charité Medical Center. He emphasized the need for advanced training in virology and immunology. This training will improve vaccine research and production beyond just viral diagnostics.

The delegation visited him at his office on March 24, 2025. During their meeting, he praised the collaboration between Charité Medical Center and Kumasi Center for Collaborative Research (KCCR). This partnership existed before NVI was established.

Dr. Sodzi-Tettey wants to integrate this collaboration into vaccine research efforts. His goal is to align their work with national and international R&D initiatives. This alignment will enhance vaccine innovation and production efficiency.

He highlighted Africa's reliance on imported vaccines during health crises. Under Africa CDC leadership, member states aim to produce 60% of vaccines locally by 2040. The new R&D Hub will help Ghana develop candidate vaccines for public health security.

Prof. Christian Drosten from Charité Medical Center announced plans for KCCR's research hub expansion. This includes establishing laboratory methods and training junior scientists at master's and doctoral levels. They also plan to support local manufacturing companies.

These efforts aim to strengthen Ghana’s vaccine research, production, and pandemic preparedness.

The new R&D Hub will achieve several goals:

1. Establish laboratory methods for vaccine research and quality control.
2. Train junior scientists at doctoral and master's levels.
3. Expand cooperation in technology transfer.
4. Collaborate with local pharmaceutical companies for vaccine production.

During the meeting, Prof. Drosten shared a cost-effective model for training junior scientists in Ghana instead of sending them abroad. Dr. Sodzi-Tettey agreed that this model could expand national research capacity.

Support for the R&D Hub was expressed by key figures present at the meeting, including Daniel Boehme from the German Embassy and Timothy Dolan from the EU delegation in Ghana. They noted that it aligns with their partnership objectives in Ghana.

Timothy Dolan outlined EU support for Ghana's pharmaceutical industry and NVI collaboration efforts with Dr. Sodzi-Tettey.

Charité’s Center for Global Health has organized seminars focused on improving vaccine uptake and production across Africa under Prof Drosten's leadership.