By Morkporkpor Anku
Accra, Aug. 27, GNA – Ghana is among eight countries selected to pilot a World Health Organisation (WHO) tool for assessing and strengthening institutional capacity to conduct clinical trials.
The pilot, led in Ghana by the National Vaccine Institute (NVI), is intended to help institutions identify strengths and gaps in systems needed for ethical, efficient and scientifically rigorous clinical research.
The NVI said in a statement issued in Accra that the draft WHO benchmarking tool assessed more than the number of clinical trials conducted, providing an evidence-informed framework for evaluating the systems and capabilities underpinning clinical research.
The framework covers seven functional areas: patient engagement, scientific research design, regulatory oversight, data management, trial operations, leadership and infrastructure.
It comprises 32 functional objectives and 112 specific outcomes, providing institutions with a comprehensive basis for assessing their clinical research capabilities.
As part of the pilot, the NVI and WHO held a training workshop in Ho, in the Volta Region, to introduce institutional teams to the tool and prepare them for the self-assessment exercise.
A comprehensive assessment was subsequently conducted from August 10 to 13, 2026, involving 13 Ghanaian institutions.
The participating institutions were the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana Medical Centre, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Revna Bioscience, University of Cape Coast, Enchi Government Hospital, Dodowa Health Research Centre and the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Hohoe.
Others were the Centre for Plant Medicine Research in Mampong, KNUST’s Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, KNUST IVI-Agogo, Kintampo Health Research Centre, University for Development Studies in Tamale and Navrongo Health Research Centre.
The NVI said the exercise was not intended to rank institutions but to support capacity development and continuous improvement within Ghana’s clinical research ecosystem.
Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, Chief Executive Officer of NVI, said the initiative was also linked to Ghana’s long-term ambitions for vaccine development and manufacturing.
“We are starting with fill-and-finish as a practical entry point, with the long-term goal of full end-to-end manufacturing,” he said.
Dr Sodzi-Tettey said the expertise available at the participating institutions would help identify capability gaps and guide efforts to address them.
Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah, Deputy Minister of Health, said strengthening institutional systems was essential to achieving greater health sovereignty.
Dr Angela Ackon, WHO Technical Officer for Integrated Service Delivery, said the benchmarking exercise would enable institutions to assess their capabilities and develop clear pathways for improvement.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Morkporkpor Anku