EU Ambassador Highlights PharmaVax Ghana’s Role in Transforming Africa’s Vaccine Production

The European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, has underscored the transformative potential of the PharmaVax Ghana programme in revolutionising the pharmaceutical landscape in Ghana and across Africa.

Speaking at the inaugural steering committee meeting of the project on Thursday, 21 November, at the Alisa Hotel, Razaaly reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Ghana’s ambition of becoming a regional vaccine production hub.

PharmaVax Ghana is a key element of the Team Europe Initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines, and Health Technologies (MAV+), which aims to address Africa’s long-standing reliance on imported vaccines. The initiative has mobilised over €1.3 billion across 80 projects, with PharmaVax receiving €33 million in funding from the EU and the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Razaaly explained that the project is designed to enhance Ghana’s vaccine and pharmaceutical production capabilities by investing in infrastructure, workforce training, and regulatory frameworks. He called PharmaVax a “holistic project” aimed at creating high-quality, trusted vaccines and medicines made in Ghana for both regional and global markets.

Commending Ghana’s progress, which includes the establishment of the National Vaccine Institute and a roadmap for vaccine development, Razaaly acknowledged the challenges ahead. These include meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) production standards and preparing for the transition from Gavi support by 2029. To address these, the EU has allocated an additional €32 million through MAV+.

The ambassador urged all stakeholders, including government representatives, academia, and the private sector, to collaborate in realising the project’s vision of enhancing Ghana’s self-reliance in health. He described the PharmaVax initiative as a “new chapter” in Ghana’s health journey, representing a significant step toward reducing Africa’s 99% reliance on imported vaccines.

The event also reinforced the EU’s Global Gateway investment package, which aims to strengthen health systems across Africa and promote equitable access to medicines.