News:
June 16, 2015
Minister of Health, Alex Sebgefia has denied that the Ebola Vaccine has been tried on any volunteer in Ghana.
According to him a nationwide public education programme will be initiated soon to sensitize theGhanaian public on the nature of vaccine trials against Ebola, to remove the misconceptions and suspicions about the disease.
He added that the sensitization exercise as a matter of urgency will be extended to the Brong Ahafo, Volta and Upper East Regions which usually host clinical trials.
The programme is scheduled to begin Thursday 18th June 2015 in Accra to afford members of the public and the media the opportunity to interact with professionals on clinical trials.
The move follows public agitation in the wake of news that an Ebola Vaccine trial was being held at Hohoe in the Volta Region with volunteers being promised GHC 200 and a mobile phone.
Chiefs and other opinion leaders including the ruling NDC Volta Regional Executives and MPs expressed their disquiet over the intended trials when the people of the area had not been adequately informed and sensitized on the trials.
This led Parliament to summon the Minister of Health to appear before the House to brief Members on what is current in relation to the vaccine trials.
Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Alex Segbefia who admitted that communities within which the trials had been planned had not been adequately consulted and briefed about the trial, stated that even though the FDA had given approval for the trial to take place, approval had not been given for the importation of any such vaccines.
He further stated that the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) had put in place extra measures over and above the usual measures they employ, to make sure that in the event that this trial is to proceed, things do not get out of hand.
Hon. Alex Segbefia noted that he will soon meet with the Parliamentary Committee on Health and experts connected with the vaccine trial following which the Committee members will in turn brief the House on its findings.
GhanaMPs.gov.gh