The National Vaccine Institute (NVI), Africa Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) and partners have held a two day training for selected journalists across the 16 regions of Ghana. These journalists had their capacities built on Ghana’s road to vaccine self- sufficiency, the state of vaccine uptake in Ghana, Clinical trials and vaccine development, understanding the local regulatory environment and the power of the media in building vaccine confidence.
The training was held at the conference room of NVI on 12th to 13th November 2025 in Accra.
In an opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of AMMREN Dr. Charity Binka expressed her heartfelt appreciation to the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) for its invaluable partnership in organising the training and said “the collaboration is a shining example of what can be achieved when institutions, whether private or public, come together with a shared vision, to ensure that the people of Ghana and indeed Africa have access to accurate information, trust in vaccines, and confidence in our health systems”.
According to Dr Binka, through collaboration with partners such as the Ghana Health Service, World Health Organization (WHO), and other stakeholders and recently, the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), AMMREN continues to play a leading role in building vaccine confidence, countering misinformation, and amplifying the voices of science across Africa.
Dr Binka added that journalists are a vital link between science and society and that AMMREN believes that when the media is well-informed, the public is well-protected.
“Journalists, hold tremendous power, the power to inform, educate, and influence public perception” She said.
Dr Binka further added that in the age of instant information and digital connectivity, the words of journalists, their headlines, and their stories can build trust or unfortunately, break it. According her, the media therefore plays a central role in shaping how people understand health interventions, including vaccines.
The Cheif Executive Officer of the National Vaccine Institute (NVI) Dr Sodzi Sodzi Tettey in his remarks said Ghana’s quest to manufacture vaccines locally should not be divorced from the very necessary activity of building confidence in the wider population.
According to Dr Sodzi, This can only happen when people are taken along on the fascinating and visionary journey of H. E. President John Dramani Mahama which is a journey to achieve vaccine self-sufficiency and achieve health security while demonstrating Ghanaian innovation.
The CEO of NVI added that the National Vaccine Institute – Ghana intend to roll out evidence-based interventions that directly tackle the fears and anxieties that may impair vaccine uptake, be it locally manufactured or imported.
According to him, It is the reason he commend the approach of deploying surveys, and planning community-based focus group discussions. This will ensure that their interventions are relevant and timely.
Dr Sodzi Sodzi said it is his expectation that they will succeed in continuously building confidence in the saving power of vaccines while setting great expectation within the population for locally manufactured vaccines.
