The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), will host the Ghana Vaccine Manufacturing Forum on Tuesday, August 6, 2025, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra.

The high-level forum, themed “Mobilising Sustainable Financing to Accelerate Vaccine Development and Manufacturing in Ghana: The Role of Financing Institutions and Development Partners,” is expected to bring together key players from government, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, investors, research institutions, and development partners.

President John Dramani Mahama will serve as the Special Guest of Honour, with the Minister for Health, Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, also scheduled to attend as Guest of Honour.

The announcement was contained in a statement signed by Tony Goodman, Deputy Director & Spokesperson for Ministry of Health

The forum comes at a critical time as Ghana seeks to strengthen its capacity for vaccine research, development, and production in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the country has a strong foundation in health regulation, pharmaceutical research, and local drug production, officials say sustainable financing remains a major barrier to advancing a full-scale vaccine manufacturing ecosystem.

According to the Ministry of Health, an estimated US$2.5 billion is needed to establish an end-to-end vaccine production value chain in Ghana.

The upcoming forum is aimed at mobilising the necessary funding through innovative financing models, including blended finance and Public-Private Partnerships.

Support from international partners such as GIZ and the World Bank has been instrumental in advancing the agenda.

GIZ, through the PharmaVax Ghana programme funded by the German Development Ministry (BMZ) and the European Union, is currently working closely with the NVI to promote pharmaceutical self-sufficiency.

Meanwhile, local manufacturers such as Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd and DEK Vaccines Ltd have signed Memoranda of Understanding with global partners for technology transfer to facilitate vaccine fill-and-finish operations within the country.

The forum is expected to:

Facilitate dialogue among public and private stakeholders;

Explore financing and policy strategies to attract long-term investments.

Identify regulatory mechanisms that support vaccine development.

Generate actionable proposals and partnerships to advance Ghana’s vaccine self-reliance agenda.

To accommodate broader participation, the event will be held in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and virtual attendance.