The Honorary Consul of Indonesia Explores Collaboration Opportunities with Ghana’s National Vaccine Institute
The Honorary Consul of Indonesia to Ghana, H.E. Paskal A.B. Rois, recently paid a visit to the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) in Accra to discuss potential collaboration in the areas of vaccine research, development, and local production.
During his meeting with NVI Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, and Deputy CEO, Dr. Faisal Nuhu, the Consul highlighted Indonesia’s successful track record in vaccine manufacturing. He mentioned Bio Farma, the state-owned company that produces over 2.3 billion doses annually for more than 150 countries, as a key player in the industry.
Indonesia’s expertise in vaccine production could significantly support Ghana’s goal of becoming a vaccine production hub for the sub-region. This collaboration could potentially reduce Africa’s reliance on imported vaccines. Additionally, Indonesia Aid has expressed readiness to provide technical assistance, and Indonesian government scholarships have already benefited several Ghanaian students this year.
One of the key discussions during the visit included the supply of Monkeypox test kits to Ghana. H.E. Rois also proposed a closer institutional partnership between Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Indonesia’s National Agency of Drug and Food Control.
Dr. Sodzi-Tettey welcomed the initiative, emphasizing that Ghana’s vaccine self-sufficiency agenda would require strong government support and effective regulation. He pointed to existing partnerships with Atlantic Life Sciences and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research as a solid foundation for further collaboration.
In terms of human resource development, Dr. Sodzi-Tettey suggested formalizing training opportunities between Ghana’s Ministry of Health and Indonesia through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This would enable Ghanaian healthcare professionals to benefit from structured training programs and knowledge exchange.
H.E. Rois expressed his gratitude to the leadership of NVI for their engagement and reiterated Indonesia’s commitment to bolstering ties with Ghana in the fields of health, vaccine production, and biotechnology.
