On 21 August 2026, Ghana formally entered the African Pooled Procurement Mechanism (APPM) after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Accra. The deal, signed by Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh and Africa CDC Director‑General Dr Jean Kaseya, will allow Ghanaian manufacturers to supply vaccines and medical products to all 55 African Union member states through a demand‑aggregation system.
The APPM, established under African Union decisions, seeks to create a structured market for quality‑assured health products produced on the continent. For Ghana, the agreement means a jump from a domestic market of 33 million to a potential 1.4 billion‑person continental market.
National Vaccine Institute (NVI) CEO Dr Sodzi Sodzi‑Tettey said the MoU is a “defining moment” for the industry. He noted that Ghana will have a ready continental market for products such as Tetanus Diphtheria vaccines and Anti‑tetanus Serum in 2026, and that snake venom antiserum was already manufactured in 2025.
Health Minister Akandoh highlighted that the agreement fulfills President John Dramani Mahama’s commitment made at the 2025 Ghana Vaccines Manufacturing Investment Forum to prioritise locally produced vaccines in public procurement and to support regional market access. He also mentioned plans to establish an Advance Purchase Commitment system to de‑risk local manufacturing investments.
While the APPM will drive demand, Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority will retain regulatory control over marketing authorisation, import control, batch release and post‑market surveillance of products supplied through the mechanism.
The NVI and Africa CDC will begin operationalising Ghana’s participation at a Regional Meeting on the APPM scheduled for November 2026 in Accra. The meeting will set the APPM Supply Catalogue, technical specifications and implementation arrangements, with the NVI pledging to secure practical outcomes for Ghana’s manufacturing sector.
