Story: Nana Akua AMPONG

Ghana will join other international scientists in a search for a vaccine against Lassa fever virus with a phase one vaccine trial in 2022.

This is when all the relevant bodies and institutions in the country mandated to oversee vaccine trials are satisfied with the data on safety of the vaccine for human trials and all relevant stakeholders have been engaged.

This study will be conducted by the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) and Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), both of the Research and Development Directorate of the Ghana Health Service, in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality in the Upper East Region and Kintampo North Municipality of the Bono East Region.

A total of 100 people would be enrolled for the exercise which would simultaneously take place at NHRC and KHRC.

The acting Director of the NHRC, Dr Patrick Odum Ansah, disclosed this to the media  after the centre had conducted a team of health journalists from the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) on its premises.

He said the centre was working with all the relevant bodies to get the needed approvals in order to commence the in-human trials of the vaccine.

He explained that whereas the NHRC would administer doses of the vaccine to about 50 people in its catchment areas, the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), would also do same.

He said the NHRC and KHRC were ready and had the capacity to conduct the exercise.