The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), through its School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences (SBBS) and School of Pharmacy (SOP), has entered a strategic partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) under the PharmaVax Ghana programme to enhance Ghana’s vaccine workforce and research capacity.
The inaugural engagement, held on Friday, February 20, 2026, at UHAS’s Main Campus in Sokode-Lokoe, Ho, focused on addressing critical gaps in human capital development to bolster national health sovereignty and position Ghana as a regional hub for vaccine innovation. Africa currently produces less than one percent of the vaccines administered on the continent, underscoring the region’s reliance on external supply chains and the urgent need for specialized workforce training, robust research infrastructure, and scalable manufacturing.
Through the Vaccine Science Programme, UHAS and GIZ aim to train pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, biomedical scientists, medical laboratory experts, industry specialists, and regulatory professionals in the technical competencies required for domestic vaccine production. The initiative adopts a transdisciplinary model, fostering collaboration across UHAS schools, research institutions, and industry partners to deliver both immediate and long-term impact. The PharmaVax Ghana programme is co-financed by the European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Beyond workforce development, the partnership seeks to strengthen Ghana’s biomanufacturing capacity and establish a sustainable national training platform designed to outlast initial funding cycles. Stakeholders emphasized that the collaboration will not only transform Ghana’s pharmaceutical landscape but also contribute to broader industrial and public health advancement across West Africa through sustained research, innovation, and workforce development.
The GIZ delegation included Jasper Sablah, Component Manager; Dr. Anna K. Quartey, Technical Advisor; and Sofia Kolb, Intern. The UHAS team was led by Vice Chancellor Professor Lydia Aziato and senior faculty members, including Professor Seth Kwabena Amponsah, Dean of SBBS; Professor Kwame Ohene Buabeng, Dean of SOP; Professor Kwame Banga, Director of the Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine; and Professors Peter Atadja, Theophilus Adiku, Clement O. Tettey, and Cornelius Dodoo, among other distinguished academics and researchers.
This collaboration marks a landmark step toward reducing Africa’s vaccine dependency and building a resilient health ecosystem capable of responding to future public health challenges.
