{"id":101107,"date":"2025-10-30T19:52:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T19:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=101107"},"modified":"2025-10-30T19:52:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T19:52:26","slug":"ghana-deepens-efforts-to-strengthen-vaccine-communication-and-local-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=101107","title":{"rendered":"Ghana deepens efforts to strengthen vaccine communication and local manufacturing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) has reiterated its commitment to strengthening public trust in vaccines and advancing Ghana\u2019s goal of vaccine self-sufficiency through robust media engagement and strategic partnerships.<\/p>\n

Speaking at a webinar on \u201cStrengthening Vaccine Communication in Ghana,\u201d the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, underscored the critical role of journalists in shaping public perception and promoting vaccine confidence.<\/p>\n

He noted that while Ghana\u2019s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has achieved remarkable success \u2014 with coverage exceeding 85% for most antigens \u2014 vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation, cultural beliefs, and mistrust remains a major challenge.<\/p>\n

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\u201cA vaccine can only save lives when people understand, trust, and accept it. That is where the media plays a crucial role,\u201d Dr. Sodzi stressed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He commended the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), and media partners for their collaboration in promoting accurate and responsible health reporting.<\/p>\n

Dr. Sodzi highlighted that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed global inequalities in vaccine access and underscored the need for African countries to take charge of their vaccine production. This, he explained, led to the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute under Act 1097 of 2023, to coordinate vaccine research, development, and manufacturing in Ghana.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe NVI\u2019s vision is to build a self-sufficient, resilient, and innovative vaccine ecosystem in Ghana,\u201d he said, adding that the Institute\u2019s work is anchored on integrity, innovation, collaboration, accountability, professionalism, and impact.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Progress Toward Vaccine Independence<\/p>\n

Dr. Sodzi shared key milestones achieved under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama, emphasizing the government\u2019s \u201creset agenda\u201d to ensure pandemic preparedness and health security.<\/p>\n

Among the progress outlined were:<\/p>\n

Technology Transfer Partnership: A collaboration between Ghana\u2019s Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd. and Indonesia\u2019s PT Bio Farma to accelerate the local production of the Tetanus-Diphtheria vaccine by 2026. The partnership will also help build Ghana\u2019s research and technical manufacturing capacity.<\/p>\n

Government\u2019s $50 Million Commitment: In August 2025, the government pledged an additional $50 million seed funding to the NVI and initiated steps toward an Advance Market Commitment (AMC) framework. This will prioritize government procurement of locally manufactured vaccines and sera products, thereby ensuring sustainability for local producers.<\/p>\n

Development of a Legislative Instrument: Work is underway to finalize the Legislative Instrument (LI) for Act 1097, which will provide a legal framework for the Institute\u2019s operations and long-term financing.<\/p>\n

Media as a Strategic Partner in Health Security<\/p>\n

Dr. Sodzi emphasized that scientific progress must go hand in hand with effective communication, noting that misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic spread faster than the virus itself.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAccurate and responsible reporting is a matter of national health security,\u201d he said. \u201cHealth communication is not a one-time effort; it is a continuous collaboration between scientists, health professionals, and the media.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

He urged journalists to embrace evidence-based reporting, fact-checking, and contextual storytelling to help dispel myths and promote confidence in vaccines and public health interventions.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe story of vaccine development in Ghana is not only about science. It is also about national pride, resilience, and innovation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Dr. Sodzi reaffirmed NVI\u2019s readiness to work with the Ghana Health Service, EPI, regulatory bodies, universities, and the media to build a transparent, trusted, and self-reliant vaccine ecosystem.<\/p>\n

He concluded by assuring the public that the NVI, together with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and vaccine manufacturers, will adhere to the highest safety and quality standards in all production processes.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe NVI believes that accurate, ethical, and well-informed journalism is a cornerstone of public health. Together, we can build a future where health information empowers, vaccines protect, and every citizen has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified life,\u201d Dr. Sodzi said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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\"GhanaThe National Vaccine Institute (NVI) has reiterated its commitment to strengthening public trust in vaccines and advancing Ghana\u2019s goal of vaccine self-sufficiency through robust media engagement and strategic partnerships.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[536,5697,1883,10,9,11598],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ghana","category-local-manufacturing","category-national","category-politics","category-popular","category-vaccine-communication"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=101107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=101107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=101107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=101107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}