GAVI to cut vaccine support to Ghana – Agyemang-Manu reveals

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has revealed that Ghana will soon be removed from the list of beneficiaries of the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI).

This announcement comes as Ghana has achieved lower middle-income status and, as a result, will no longer receive free vaccine supplies from the GAVI initiative.

GAVI, also known as the Vaccine Alliance, is an autonomous public-private partnership and multilateral finance organization that aims to expand access to vaccines, particularly among vulnerable children, around the world.

During the inauguration of the new office complex of the Ghana Vaccine Institute in Accra, Mr. Agyemang-Manu emphasized the need for Ghana to be self-reliant in vaccine production. He stated that it is crucial for Ghana to strive for self-sufficiency in vaccine production to prevent future reliance on external aid.

“While the GAVI alliance support is about 80 percent of Ghana’s vaccine, our attainment of a lower middle-income status means we will have to transition from GAVI support by the year 2027.”

Mr Agyemang-Manu added that the government has since developed the national vaccine policy to translate President Akufo-Addo’s vision of making Ghana a vaccine manufacturing hub into a reality.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on May 10, charged the newly inaugurated Board of the National Vaccine Institute with the crucial task of prioritizing Ghana’s self-sufficiency and reducing the nation’s reliance on external sources for critical vaccines.

The esteemed Board, chaired by the highly regarded Dr. Anarfi Asamoah Baah, Head of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, was sworn in during a ceremony held in Accra.

In his address, the President emphasized the need for the Institute to accelerate the country’s capacity to manufacture its own vaccines.