The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), Kwame Dei Asamoah Okyere, has expressed that Ghana must urgently strengthen its biosafety regulatory frameworks.
He observed that this will help to realize its goal of becoming Sub-Saharan Africa’s premier hub for vaccine research, development, and manufacturing.
Speaking with the media at the workshop on Thursday, July 30, 2026, Mr. Asamoah Okyere emphasized that while national discussions heavily feature medicine safety, biosafety oversight remains a critical yet overlooked pillar in securing vaccine self-sufficiency following lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also, the CEO explained that modern biopharmaceuticals such as viral-vector vaccines, gene therapies, and biosimilars present unique biosecurity and biosafety risks. These go beyond basic product quality and require specialized regulation.
“Scientific advancement must always be accompanied by effective and efficient regulatory oversight that protects human health and the environment while promoting innovation and investment,” Mr. Asamoah Okyere stated.
He further stressed that to streamline oversight, the NBA has partnered with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) through a series of bilateral meetings and roundtables.
These discussions use vaccines as a primary model for clinical trial authorizations, market approvals, and facility licensing, drawing best practices from regulatory systems in the EU, USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, and the Netherlands.
The CEO opened up that the NBA has been established under the Biosafety Act, 2011 (Act 831), the organisation is legally mandated to ensure the safe handling and use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and modern biotechnologies across agriculture, healthcare, and industry.
Mr. Asamoah-Okyere urged stakeholders to prioritize public health, transparent science, and public trust to establish Ghana as a resilient, self-reliant leader in West African vaccine innovation.
The workshop brought together representatives from government agencies, healthcare bodies, academic institutions, development partners, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Its primary goal was to pinpoint existing regulatory gaps and establish a comprehensive national roadmap to achieve full operational readiness.
Source: Collins Kofi Asante
