John Dramani Mahama has announced a $50 million seed allocation to the National Vaccine Institute as part of efforts to strengthen local pharmaceutical and vaccine production.
Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament on Thursday, President Mahama said the investment forms part of a deliberate strategy to reduce dependence on external donor support and build what he described as “health sovereignty.”
“Government has allocated $50 million in seed funding to the National Vaccine Institute,” he told lawmakers, stressing that the move aligns with his administration’s RESET agenda.
The President revealed that donor support to the health sector had declined sharply from 19 per cent of the total health budget to just 2.2 per cent, creating a financing gap of more than GH¢4 billion.
He said government was finalising steps to implement an advanced market commitment policy that would prioritise locally manufactured vaccines and pharmaceuticals in public procurement.
Production of the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine is expected to begin this year through a partnership with an Indonesian pharmaceutical firm, while a local manufacturer has secured market authorisation to produce snake antivenom in Ghana.
“In 2025, the vaccine budget for children and pregnant women was increased by 46 per cent,” he said, noting that the allocation exceeded GH¢171 million and enabled Ghana to fully finance its immunisation programme.
He also announced that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine would be introduced this year to protect young girls against cervical cancer.
President Mahama maintained that strengthening domestic vaccine production would enhance national resilience and reduce vulnerability to global supply disruptions.
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