Mahama pushes for Ghana-made vaccines after COVID-19 supply challenges

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled plans to establish a vaccine production hub in Ghana as the government steps up efforts to boost local pharmaceutical manufacturing and reduce reliance on imported medicines and vaccines.

The initiative is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Ghana’s healthcare system, create employment opportunities and develop the country into a pharmaceutical manufacturing centre for Africa.

Addressing chiefs from the Western North Region during a courtesy call, President Mahama said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the challenges African countries faced in securing essential medical supplies during global health emergencies.

“We have learnt a lesson, and we want to produce our own vaccines and medicines,” he said.

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The president explained that the government was pursuing measures to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to manufacture essential health products locally, rather than depend heavily on external suppliers.

He also highlighted the Accra Reset initiative, which seeks to advance health sovereignty, improve investment in healthcare and reduce the continent’s dependence on other countries.

“There are other issues we are working on, including the Accra Reset, which is aimed at achieving health sovereignty, investing in the health of our people and breaking the cycle of dependency,” he said.

Mahama reflects on Africa’s COVID-19 vaccine experience.

President Mahama said the difficulties African countries encountered in obtaining vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic had reinforced the need for stronger domestic pharmaceutical industries across the continent.

According to him, African countries were left waiting for supplies while other parts of the world secured vaccines, highlighting the risks associated with relying on international markets for critical medical products.

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“We learnt a lesson from COVID-19. When vaccines became available, Africa was placed at the end of the queue. Everybody received vaccines before us,” he said.

He further warned that the consequences could have been devastating if COVID-19 had affected African populations more severely before vaccines became available.

“If God had not given us immunity that prevented COVID-19 from affecting us severely, the whole of Africa could have been wiped out before even one vaccine arrived here,” he said.

Ghana targets greater health sovereignty.

The proposed vaccine production hub is intended to support Ghana’s broader ambition to develop local capacity for producing vaccines and medicines, while improving preparedness for future public health emergencies.

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President Mahama said his administration remained committed to initiatives that would strengthen the country’s healthcare sector and enable Ghana, alongside other African countries, to respond more effectively to future disease outbreaks.

“Those are issues we are championing,” he added.

The planned investment in vaccine and medicine production forms part of wider efforts to strengthen Ghana’s pharmaceutical industry, support local manufacturing and improve access to essential healthcare products.

If successfully implemented, the initiative could help reduce the country’s exposure to disruptions in international supply chains while creating opportunities for pharmaceutical research, industrial development and job creation.

However, further details on the proposed facility, including its location, investment requirements, production capacity and implementation timeline, will be important in determining the scale and pace of the project.