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Health

COVID-19: Ghana to be selected as manufacturing hub for vaccines in Africa

By : cd on 21 May 2021, 09:25     |     Source: citinewsroom

Ghana stands tall in the selection of African countries for the possible manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines, the European Union (EU) has said.

Vice President of the EU, Valdis Dombrovskis made the disclosure during President Akufo-Addo’s two-day working visit to Brussels in Belgium.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Jubilee House on Friday, May 21, 2021.

“At the meeting with the Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commission indicated the selection of Ghana as a possible manufacturing hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa,” the statement added.

The selection of the West-African country follows the initiatives already taken by the Government of Ghana towards the domestic manufacturing of vaccines.

Two task force teams from the EU and Ghana will meet shortly to discuss modalities towards the realization of the initiative.

It was stated that the move if successful could get support from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

President, Akufo-Addo during his 24th COVID-19 address to the nation announced that the government has established a committee to formulate a concrete plan for vaccine development and manufacturing in Ghana.

Former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng was named to be Chairman of the committee.

“I want to reiterate my determination that we should manufacture vaccines here in Ghana. To this end, a committee has been established under the chairmanship of the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, the world-renowned scientist, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, which is formulating a concrete plan of action towards vaccine development and manufacturing,” said the President.