ACCRA, GHANA – SEPTEMBER 2026

The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) is proud to announce a historic milestone for Ghana’s pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing industry following the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Ghana and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to enable Ghana’s participation in the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM).

The MoU was formally signed on 21 August 2026 in Accra by the Government of Ghana, represented by the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (MP), and Africa CDC, represented by its Director-General, H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya.

The agreement positions Ghana at the heart of Africa’s emerging health security architecture and provides a structured pathway for Ghanaian pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers to access expanded markets across the continent.

Government Commitment to Local Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Celebrating the signing, the Minister for Health, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh (MP), said the agreement gives practical effect to the commitment made by H.E. President John Dramani Mahama at the Ghana Vaccines Manufacturing Investment Forum held in Accra in August 2025.

“This MoU gives practical effect to the commitment of H.E. President John Dramani Mahama at the Ghana Vaccines Manufacturing Investment Forum held in Accra in August 2025. As you recall, the President directed that reforms be implemented to ensure locally produced vaccines and pharmaceuticals are prioritised in public procurement in Ghana.

“Additionally, the President also pledged to support Ghanaian producers to access regional markets and participate in the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM). Ghana’s joining the APPM will be strongly complemented by ongoing efforts to set up a system for Advance Purchase Commitment to de-risk investments in local manufacturing in Ghana.”

What This Means for Ghana

The African Pooled Procurement Mechanism is a continental market-shaping and pooled procurement mechanism established under African Union Assembly Decisions AU/Dec.877(XXXVII) 2024, AU/Dec.924(XXXVIII), EX.CL/Dec.1291(XLVI) 2025, and reinforced by AU/Dec.966(XXXIX) 2026, which urges all African Union Member States to join the mechanism.

Ghana’s participation in the APPM is expected to deliver significant benefits to the country’s pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing sector, including:

1. Expanded Market Access Beyond Ghana: Ghanaian pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers, including both established manufacturers and emerging companies within the Ghana Pharmaceutical Hub planned by the Government of Ghana, will have a structured pathway to supply quality-assured health products, vaccines and medical equipment to African Union Member States through Africa CDC’s demand aggregation and procurement processes.
2. Sustainable and Predictable Demand: The APPM will create expanded and more predictable demand for African-made health products. This has the potential to address the challenge of limited domestic market size and improve the viability of investments in local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing.
3. Strengthened Health Security: Ghana’s participation will contribute to improved access to affordable and quality-assured health products while strengthening supply security, collective purchasing power and intra-African trade. This is aligned with the Africa CDC Strategic Plan (2023–2027) and the African Health Security and Sovereignty (AHSS) Framework.

Regulatory Oversight Remains with Ghana FDA

Importantly, the MoU reaffirms that all procurement under the APPM remains subject to the exclusive regulatory authority of Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) with respect to marketing authorisation, import control, batch release and post-market surveillance.

Ghana’s FDA is recognised as a strong regulatory institution on the continent and has attained WHO Maturity Level 3 for medicines regulation.

Next Step: Operationalisation of Ghana’s APPM Participation in Accra

In line with the MoU, the National Vaccine Institute and Africa CDC will jointly operationalise Ghana’s participation in the APPM during the upcoming Regional Meeting on the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism, which will be hosted in Accra, Ghana, in November 2026.

The meeting is expected to bring together political leaders, policymakers, regulators, pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturers, procurement agencies and other key stakeholders. Participants will deliberate and agree on the APPM Supply Catalogue, technical specifications and implementation arrangements necessary to support Ghana’s participation in the mechanism.

NVI CEO: “A Defining Moment for Ghana”

Commenting on the signing, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute, Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, described the agreement as a defining moment for Ghana and the NVI.

“This is a defining moment for Ghana and for the NVI. For years, our local manufacturers have been constrained by a market of 33 million. With APPM, we now have access to a market of 1.4 billion Africans.

“This MoU delivers on President Mahama’s vision for Ghana to become a regional hub for vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing. It guarantees that when we manufacture Tetanus Diphtheria vaccines and Anti-Tetanus Serum in 2026, and other essential products, including Snake Venom Anti-Serum, which we have already manufactured in 2025, we have a continental market ready to buy.

“The NVI is fully committed to working with Africa CDC to make the Accra Regional Meeting in November a success, with practical implications for Ghanaian manufacturers and the broader African health security agenda.”

Commitment to Africa’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Sovereignty

The National Vaccine Institute commends the Ministry of Health, the Government of Ghana and Africa CDC for their leadership and commitment to strengthening Africa’s pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing capacity.

The NVI looks forward to working with manufacturers, regulators, procurement agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to translate Ghana’s participation in the APPM into tangible opportunities for local manufacturers and contribute to the realisation of Africa’s pharmaceutical manufacturing sovereignty.

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