Prof. William Kwabena Ampofo, immediate past Head of Department of Virology at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research has been sworn-in by the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a Board member and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a thirteen (13) member governing board of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI).

The board, chaired by Dr. Anarfi Asamoa-Baah, former Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other members; Prof. Gordon A. Awandare; Prof. Alex Dodoo; Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye; Prof Rita Akosua Dickson; Prof. Kofi Opoku Nti; Prof., Dr. Baffour-Awuah; Dr. Delese Darko; Dr. Daniel Gyingiri Achel; Mr. Mustapha Tawiah Kumah; Mr. Kofi Nsiah-Poku and Ms. Fredrica Sala Illiasu will develop policy direction and implementation for vaccine production and manufacturing in Ghana. 

The mandate of the NVI is to coordinate and facilitate domestic pharmaceutical companies’ capacity to fill, finish, and package mRNA COVID-19, malaria, and tuberculosis vaccines, and, eventually, to manufacture them in Ghana.

Other functions of the Board include facilitating vaccine and serum research partnerships, mobilizing resources for vaccine and serum research, establishing domestic vaccine manufacturing plants and market development, technology transfer agreements with vaccine developers and pharmaceutical industries, and advising the Health Minister on policy matters, among others.

President Akufo-Addo urged the board members to help build bilateral and multilateral collaborations for vaccine deployment and manufacturing, clinical trial funding, technology transfer, human capital development, licensing, and intellectual property rights assignment.

The President, while congratulating the members, assured the board of the government’s support and non-interference in their activities to ensure the successful fulfilment of the institute’s mandate.