Ayanore named recipient of the Fulbright African Research Scholar Program
Dr. Martin Ayanore has been named as one of the recipients of the Fulbright African Research Scholar Program for 2022/2023 year. He will work with health system experts from Harvard University as part of this award for the year 2022/2023, both in Ghana and the United States.
Dr. Ayanore’s research grant will assess health system competence for infant and young child feeding practices in Ghana. The research is expected to contribute to developing a set of measures for infant and young child feeding, identify gaps in health system response to child feeding practices and assess health system competence relevant to the Ghanaian context in relation to child nutrition.
Dr. Martin Ayanore recently placed 8th among the top scientist in UHAS and 118 in Ghana from the AD Scientific Index in the World Scientist and University Rankings 2021. He is a Health Economist and Senior Lecturer with the School of Public Health, UHAS, where he is also Head of the Department of Health Policy Planning and Management.
Fulbright African Research Scholar Program is a global prestigious award offered to university faculty or research institute professionals from Africa to conduct research in any academic discipline at a U.S. academic or research institution. Preference for the award is based on university teaching experience and individuals who have a distinguished research trajectory and scholarly record.
President appoints Ayanore of UHAS as GRDA board chair
Dr. Martin Ayanore, a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Health Policy Planning and Management in the School of Public Health, UHAS, has been appointed by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as Board Chairperson of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA).
The Ghana Railway Development Authority is regulated by the Railway ACT, 2008 (ACT 779) with the mandate to promote the development of railways and railway services and to hold, administer and improve railway assets in Ghana.
Other members of the Board include Hon. Kwaku Asante-Boateng, Deputy Minister for Railway Development; Ing. Ernest Obeng from the Ministry of Roads and Highways; Mr. Ernest Yaw Owusu, Ag, CEO of the Authority; Mr. Michael Achagwe Luguje, Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority; Mr. Jonathan Azasoo from the National Planning Development Commission (NDPC); and Mr. Edwin Acquaye from the Ghana Chamber of Mines. Other members include Dr. Emmanuel Adem Opoku, Deputy CEO Ghana Cocoa Board in charge of Operations; Mr. Fridoline Kwesi Bansah and Ing. Sophia Abena Tijani, both representatives from the private sector, and Mr. Edward Abrokwah from the Ministry of Finance.
The Board was sworn into office on 14th September, 2021.
UHAS Management and the entire UHAS Community wish Dr. Ayanore well in his new role in service to the nation.
Zotor inaugural lecture makes the case for African diets
Professor Francis Bruno Zotor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences has called for a “renaissance for African dietary systems that can be embraced by people, take pride in our identity and work assiduously to break any barriers.’’ He was addressing an auditorium-full of guests during his Professorial Inaugural Lecture on October 14. The event took place at the Cedi Auditorium with live streaming to a global audience that included Professor Zotor’s family, church members, mentors and colleagues in the nutrition sector, and the UHAS community.
Speaking on the topic: “Our nutrition, our health: What it takes to make Africans eat African,” Professor Zotor called on universities and professional bodies within the health sector, singling out the Ghana Association of Nutrition and Dietetics (GAND), to advocate for the inclusion of local food products in Government-procured food items, so as to encourage the consumption of local foods:
“We need to bring to visibility local food products which should be included in government procurement; people can be convinced of the benefits; traders encouraged to bring these foods into the big city, and involve our chefs to innovate.”
He stressed that it was time to explore the environment to attain greater heights in terms of food security and good nutrition, saying, “Enough with the fried rice, high-fat, high-sugar and oily foods!”
Zotor, who is Head of Department of Family and Community Health at the School of Public Health, UHAS, bemoaned the challenges of obtaining a healthy diet in an unhealthy environment as a critical issue for Africa, and advocated for introduction of a new academic course that brings together nutrition, food science and agriculture. He also recommended collaborations with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) for a nutrition surveillance system that would monitor the epidemiology of outbreaks, primary health care and the agriculture industry.
UHAS Vice Chancellor Professor John Gyapong, who chaired the Lecture, praised Professor Zotor for his resilience, commitment and global impact in his area of expertise.
The Vice Chancellor stated that Professor Zotor’s Inaugural Lecture being the fifth to occur during the ten-year lifespan of the university, is a testament that something good exists at UHAS. He emphasized that the university is rubbing shoulders with older universities in terms of research outlook and impact in world rankings.
UHAS-SPH preps preceptors on adding value to vocational training
The School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences (SPH) has held a two-day training workshop for its preceptors on the various aspects of health service provision in the training of its students, especially in public health and health system practices. The programme, in five modules, sought to orient preceptors on the competencies that UHAS-SPH students are required to attain during Vocational Training.
The first module covered Preceptorship. Professor Paul Amuna, Acting Dean of SPH, said preceptors as coaches and supervisors, who provide support to students during their vocational training, need to be oriented on their unique roles and the importance of providing students with theory and practice sessions. He said, “They have the critical role of providing individual attention to student's learning needs, and feedback regarding performance.”
In the Health System Management and Administration module, preceptors were expected to relearn how to engage students on the roles and responsibilities of health administration and management in efficient running of facilities.
In the Disease Prevention and Health Promotion module, preceptors were trained to among other things, engage students on logistics management and vaccine forecasting, and to carry out cold chain inventor. They were also to enhance students’ ability to conduct nutrition surveillance in communities, as well as engage students to identify and evaluate socio-cultural practices and beliefs that affect the health of the population.
The Disease Surveillance module took preceptors through how to support students to apply appropriate formats and reporting tools at various units, based on timelines for reporting priority diseases and the timely collection, review, validation and communication of data.
The Community Engagement and Practice module exposed the preceptors to introducing students to primary health care systems, notably CHPS, health centers and hospitals and helping students practically understand the processes involved in community entry and conducting community entry exercises.
At the end of the two-day training, Professor Amuna said the session had exposed the facilitators to a wide range of information within the Ghana health sector, which Management plans to embed within the School’s curriculum. He also added that it had generated quality feedback from the preceptors.
The School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences (SPH) has held a two-day training workshop for its preceptors on the various aspects of health service provision in the training of its students, especially in public health and health system practices. The programme, in five modules, sought to orient preceptors on the competencies that UHAS-SPH students are required to attain during Vocational Training
UHAS SPH welcomes 2019/2020 undergraduate and postgraduate Sandwich students
School of Public Health, UHAS has welcomed 423 Sandwich undergraduate and postgraduate students for the 2019/2020 academic year during consecutive matriculation ceremonies held at Worawora Learning Centre and Hohoe Campus on November 11.
Included in the number are 17 postgraduate students, who will be pursuing Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Applied Epidemiology. The rest are undergraduate students, entering at Level 200 and 300, who will be pursuing Bachelor of Public Health with various specialisations including Nutrition, Disease Control, Health Promotion, Environmental Health, Health Information, and Mental Health.
Addressing the new entrants, Vice Chancellor Prof. John O. Gyapong noted that demand for programmes offered by the University has been increasing each year, requiring more infrastructure to meet the demand.
"If we say because of infrastructure we will limit our intake, many of you would have been disadvantaged,” he said, adding that the University is doing everything possible to expand infrastructure to give opportunity to more students.
He encouraged students to apply themselves fully to their studies, for which they had travelled from far and new, and entreated them to be exceptional in the application of the skills they would be acquiring, so that the world could bear testimony that they are from one of the best Universities.
Besides the VC, the ceremony was graced by the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof. Seth Owusu Adjei; Registrar, Dr. Sena Cynthia Kpeglo and the Dean of the School of Public Health, Prof. Paul Amuna.
COVID 19 protocols were strictly adhered to at Worawora, where Level 300 students were matriculated and at the Hohoe Campus, where Level 200 and postgraduate students were matriculated. At Hohoe, the ceremony was followed by an orientation for the postgraduate students, during which they were introduced to various aspects of their programmes.
Hohoe Municipal Hospital lauds UHAS efforts in COVID-19 fight
Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, Deputy Minister of Health, has visited two UHAS campuses as part of a tour to familiarise himself with the operations of COVID-19 centres in the Volta Region. The University runs one centre on its main campus at Sokode-Lokoe in Ho, and the UHAS School of Public Health (SPH) is actively involved in the operation of the centre located at the Hohoe Municipal Hospital. SPH earlier donated one of its facilities to the Hospital for use as a holding centre for COVID-19 patients.
During the deputy minister’s visit to Hohoe, Dr. Pius Mensah, Medical Superintendent of Hohoe Municipal Hospital and acting Municipal Health Director lauded the efforts of the UHAS School of Public Health for its immense contribution in the COVID-19 fight in the Municipality. He said the hospital, just like many others across the nation, had come under unprecedented pressure and would have succumbed, but for effective collaboration with UHAS. The fight became somewhat easier due to insights provided by Professor Paul Amuna, Dean of SPH, and other UHAS experts. “The University has not only provided technical support when we needed it the most but also human resources when the need arose,” he told the deputy minister and other stakeholders at a meeting on June 29. “We even had the services of their clinical psychologist to counsel the COVID-19 patients,” he added.
Professor Paul Amuna, Dean of the UHAS School of Public Health, called on the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to help complete and upgrade the new COVID-19 treatment centre, which has opened to receive overflow patients from other districts in the region. The plan is for SPH to use it as a treatment and research centre for infectious diseases when the COVID-19 crisis is over.
Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye said the hospital has come to be known as an inspiring one because of its enormous effort in ensuring that the spread of the disease was reduced and managed. He noted, “Recovered cases are the strongest signs of hope” if the virus is to be defeated; he also implored all to desist from stigmatisation, as it does not augur well for recovery.
Dr. Timothy Letsa, Volta Regional Director, Ghana Health Service, said the Hohoe hospital has become a “dependable” centre, especially for COVID-19, and called on all to “put their shoulders to the wheel” if humanity is to be helped.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Boye visited the COVID-19 Testing Centre at the UHAS Main Campus.
Hohoe MP recognizes SPH role in community health with donation
Honorable Dr. Bernice Adiku-Heloo, Member of Parliament for Hohoe constituency, donated a desktop computer with accessories and a laser printer to the School of Public Health (SPH), University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) on 6 May. Mr. George Anni Bansah, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Hohoe constituency, who led the delegation from the Office of the MP, said this donation marks the beginning of a fruitful relationship, adding that the Office of the MP would explore various avenues through which to continue assisting SPH.
Professor Paul Amuna, Acting Dean of the School of Public Health, expressed profound gratitude and assured the delegation of the University’s readiness for “greater collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that the citizens of Hohoe benefit fully from the establishment of the School of Public Health in Hohoe.”
Dean Amuna took the opportunity to report on the progress of work on the COVID-19 holding center at the Hohoe Municipal Hospital (HMH) and to appeal for assistance to furnish the completed structure. UHAS has provided the SPH Onchocerciasis Clinical Trials Ward at HMH to the Hospital for use as a holding/isolation facility for health care workers who were earlier exposed to COVID-19 patients, as one of many measures the University has undertaken so far to support government efforts at containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UHAS School of Public Health, which is 81 kilometers away from the University’s main campus and two other UHAS campuses in the regional capital, is a major community health and educational hub and has been very active in COVID-19 containment efforts in the Hohoe area, offering technical expertise and material support to local emergency management efforts. SPH is also providing education on COVID-19 and related public health issues via radio, in partnership with Heritage FM and Lorlonyo FM, Hohoe.
The School accepted an invitation from the Hohoe Municipal Health Directorate (HMHD) to be part of a tri-partite leadership team of the Public Health Emergency Management Committee that was assembled on 16th March 2020 — along with HMHD and the Hohoe Municipal Assembly (HMA). SPH is providing technical support to the Committee, and is also represented by Dean Amuna and Dr. Isaiah Agorinya on HMH’s Technical Advisory Group.
Dr. Nuworzah Kugbey, Lecturer and Clinical Psychologist at SPH, was invited by HMH to provide psychological support to all health care staff and others who were earlier exposed to COVID-19 patients. He is currently providing frontline support to the Health Management Team. In addition, the Ghana Health Service trained 18 SPH student-volunteers, who are now actively engaged in frontline contact tracing activities across the Municipality; and two faculty members, Mr. Amenuvegbe and Ms. Fortress Aku, are providing technical support in contact tracing.
Apart from providing technical expertise, SPH has also given other resources to HMH — including one infrared thermometer for screening and one gallon of hand sanitizer manufactured by the UHAS School of Pharmacy — through a donation of GhC2,000.00 from Dr. Nicholas Opoku’s research fund. The Dean of SPH also donated GhC2,000.00 on behalf of the University to cover the cost of painting the new Case Management Centre, which is 85% complete. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is fully contained, this centre will be designated an Infectious Disease Management Centre.
Mr. Randy Daniel Siaku, Secretary to the Member of Parliament, Mr. Andy Agbi, Youth Organizer, and Mr. David Dzatse, Branch Executive, were part of the entourage from the Office of the Member of Parliament.
UHAS and York collaborate on flagship iron folic study
The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) actively collaborates with domestic and international organisations, research institutions and other universities for purposes of education and cutting edge research to prevent diseases and improve quality of life within various communities. To that end, the University is strengthening its partnership with York University, Toronto, Canada through an exchange programme.
Three visiting students from York are working with some final year students at the UHAS School of Public Health, Hohoe, on a flagship project to evaluate girls’ iron-folic acid supplementation. This project’s objective is to determine knowledge of anaemia and its prevalence among adolescents in defaulting and non-defaulting schools in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana’s Volta Region.
The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Health, and is supported by training grants from Iowa State University, Ames, USA and a UHAS Research Fund grant awarded to Mr. Isaac Agbemafle, a UHAS lecturer currently pursuing his PhD at Iowa State University.
In addition to Isaac Agbemafle, who is the principal investigator, the team also comprises four research assistants, including the three York students —Thuvaraka Senathirajah, Julia Digiovine, Jamila Ninche — and Ophelia Xorlali Mensah, a UHAS School of Public Health final year student.
SPH interacts with heads of second cycle institutions
Officials of the School of Public Health (SPH) of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) on January 23 interacted with some heads of second cycle institutions in the Volta and Oti Regions to discuss various topics and answer any questions they might have about the university and SPH.
Professor Paul Amuna, Dean of SPH explained that this outreach was designed to introduce programmes on offer at the university to the heads and their students: “We want to make UHAS and the School of Public Health visible. There are lots of programmes available, aside from the traditional programmes,” he said.
He urged the heads to encourage students and guardians to explore available options for their wards in their pursuit of educational excellence. He also noted that the University has a strong vocational element helping to bridge the gap between academia and industry.
Professor Francis Zotor, Head of Department, Family and Community Health, assured the heads that SPH holds a lot of possibilities for its students.
“Our courses create an enabling environment that allows our students to be change-makers in their respective fields. It allows them to identify and appropriately address areas of need, as well being innovative,” thus bridging the gap between industry and academia, and making SPH students well sought-after.
The UHAS School of Public Health, located at Hohoe, has a student population of about 1200 and looks forward to expanding admissions for the 2020/2021 academic year. UHAS currently runs accredited programmes under six schools — Allied Health Sciences, Basic and Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Midwifery, Pharmacy, and Public Health — and two institutes, Institute of Health Research (IHR) and Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine (ITAM).
