Selection Process and Event Highlights

The eight projects were selected through a competitive Call for Proposals jointly organised by NVI and GIZ[cite: 1]. An independent committee of nine Ghanaian experts evaluated the 43 project proposals received against criteria including technical merit, public benefit, involvement of a local manufacturer, and the long-term sustainability of the proposed research and development work beyond the project duration[cite: 1]. Beyond financial support, the best initiatives will receive technical assistance, networking opportunities, and knowledge exchange to strengthen research capacity and promote the commercialisation of the products[cite: 1].

The award ceremony brought together government officials, academia, industry, and development partners to celebrate Ghanaian innovation and the growing collaboration between research institutions and manufacturers[cite: 1]. Among the distinguished guests were Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health of the Republic of Ghana; H.E. Frederik Landshöft, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ghana; Mr. Jonas Cleas, Chargé d'affaires and Head of Political Section, European Union Delegation to Ghana; as well as representatives from government institutions, universities, pharmaceutical companies, and the wider scientific community[cite: 1].

Speaking at the ceremony, Hon. Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Minister of Health of the Republic of Ghana, emphasised that the initiative marks more than the presentation of grants[cite: 1]:

"This ceremony marks the beginning of an important journey - a journey that brings researchers, manufacturers, government and international partners together to transform scientific discoveries into medicines and vaccines that save and improve lives."

Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, Chief Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute, highlighted the importance of connecting Ghana's research excellence with local manufacturing capabilities:

"Ghana has the scientific talent, the research institutions and an increasingly capable pharmaceutical industry to develop health solutions that respond to our own priorities. By bringing these strengths together, we are creating the foundation for medicines and vaccines that are developed in Ghana, manufactured in Ghana, and have the potential to benefit the wider region."

By investing in research, innovation, and collaboration, the grants contribute to Ghana's vision of building a resilient pharmaceutical sector, strengthening health security, and expanding local manufacturing capacity for medicines and vaccines as a strategic industry for Ghana's economic development.

Overview of Awarded Projects

• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in partnership with Aspee Pharmaceuticals Ltd. and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, has been awarded €300,000 in grant funding, complemented by €150,000 in own contributions. The project aims to optimise a locally developed herbal pain medicine for scalable and sustainable local manufacturing.
• University of Cape Coast, in collaboration with Kash Chemist Ltd., has received €100,000 in grant funding, with an additional €10,000 in own contributions. The project will develop a fast-dissolving oral tablet for the treatment of malaria in children, improving accurate dosing and treatment adherence.
• Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, together with Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd., has secured €500,000 in grant funding and €47,000 in own contributions. The project will generate stability data to support regulatory approval and strengthen the reliable local production of tetanus-diphtheria vaccines and tetanus antitoxin.
• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Water Research Institute, working with Kantanka Herbal Pharmaceuticals and Research Centre Ltd., has been awarded €125,000 in grant funding, alongside €20,000 in own contributions. The project seeks to generate scientific evidence on the safety and effectiveness of herbal treatments for alcohol-related liver disease while supporting their scale-up for local production.
• Centre for Plant Medicine Research is implementing two projects in partnership with Dodowa Health Research Centre and Atlantic Lifesciences Ltd., supported by €340,000 in grant funding and €37,000 in own contributions. One project will evaluate the safety and efficacy of an affordable locally developed herbal product for prostate health through a clinical trial, while the second will generate stability data to support regulatory approval of a locally produced snake venom antiserum with an extended shelf life.
• West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens at the University of Ghana, in collaboration with DEK Vaccines Ltd., minoHealth AI Labs Ltd., and INCAS Diagnostics & Services Ltd., has been awarded €300,000 in grant funding, with €40,000 in own contributions. The project will use a Ghanaian artificial intelligence platform to design and scale up monoclonal antibodies and diagnostics for Mpox and malaria, while strengthening local manufacturing capacity.
• Central University, in partnership with Ernest Chemists Ltd., has received €250,000 in grant funding and will contribute €30,000 towards the project. The initiative will develop and validate standardised herbal treatment for hypertension, preparing it for large-scale local production.