Dr. George P. Wak is a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Population and Behavioral Sciences at the Fred N. Binka School of Public Health of the University of Health and Allied Sciences. He joined the University in December 2019. He is a demographer by training and prior to joining the university he had worked with the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) for 29 years.

Education

He obtained his PhD and Master’s degrees in Population Studies from the Regional Institute for Population Studies at the University of Ghana. Prior to that he obtained his first degree from the Department of Geography and Resource Development at the University of Ghana. He had post-doctoral training at the Departments of Geography and Environment as well as the Department of Engineering, all at the University of Southampton, through a British Commonwealth Fellowship.

Work Experience

Prior to his appointment, Dr Wak had worked with the Ghana Vitamin A Supplementation Trial (Ghana VAST) in Navrongo from 1991 to 1992. Following the completion of the VAST Project, the Narongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) was established where Dr. Wak had been working until he was employed as a Senior Lecturer at SPH/UHAS in November 2019. At the NHRC, Dr. Wak had coordinated several projects, key among them is the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS). In addition to the above, he had provided consultancy services in the establishment and running of HDSSs to a number of HDSS centres including those of Kintampo and Dodowa, all in Ghana, Nahuche in Zamfara State, Calababar and Obafemi Awolowo (Ile Ife) Universities, all in Nigeria. He also provided consultancy services to the Damongo Catholic Dioceses in the assessment of the Damongo Diocesan Health Sector. He coordinated a WHO project on the effect of Men A on pregnancy outcome. He had been involved in the training and monitoring of CHPS Coordinators (nurses) in data collection in the then three regions of Brong Ahafo, Central and Volta for the evaluation of the mortality aspect of new malaria vaccine implementation. He also coordinated the enumeration of the Builsa North and South Districts for the establishment of an HDSS for the implementation of the EPIMAL003 malaria vaccine trial in the Upper East Region.

Science/Research Output

His research interest is in migration and health and demographic outcomes. Also interested in household dynamics and how they affect health and socio-demographic wellbeing of people, particularly children. Dr. Wak is also interested in research methods, including data collection and analysis. Special area of interest and expertise is Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) operations and longitudinal data analysis.

Selected Publications

1. Martin Bangha, George Wak, Momodou Jasseh, Gilles Pison, Robert Newton, Xavier F. Gomez-Olive, Peter Sifuna, Walter Otieno & Osman Sankoh (2017). Assessing the levels and trends in adult mortality in sub-Saharan Africa using INDEPTH Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems. International Journal for Population, Development and Reproductive Health. Volume. 1, Issue 1.

2. Wak, G., Bangha, M., Azongo, D., Oduro, A. and Kwankye, S (2017). Data reliability: Comparison between Census and Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) outputs for Kassena-Nankana East and West districts, Ghana. Population Review. Volume 56, Number 1, Pp 31-45.

3. Wak, G., Williams, J., Oduro, A., Maure, C., Zuber, P., Black, S. (2015). The Safety of PsA-TT in Pregnancy: an Assessment performed within the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance Site in Ghana. Clinical Infectious Disease. 61(Suppl 5):S489–S492.

4. Ayaga Bawah, Paul Welaga, Daniel Azongo, George Wak, James Phillips and Abraham Oduro (2014). Road traffic fatalities-a neglected epidemic in rural northern Ghana: evidence from the Navrongo demographic surveillance system. Injury Epidemiology. 1:22.

5. Streatfield PK, Khan WA, Bhuiya A, Hanifi SM, Alam N, Diboulo E, Niamba L, Sié A, Lankoandé B, Millogo R, Soura AB, Bonfoh B, Kone S, Ngoran EK, Utzinger J, Ashebir Y, Melaku YA, Weldearegawi B, Gomez P, Jasseh M, Azongo D, Oduro A, Wak G, Wontuo P, Attaa-Pomaa M, Gyapong M, Manyeh AK, Kant S, Misra P, Rai SK, Juvekar S, Patil R, Wahab A, Wilopo S, Bauni E, Mochamah G, Ndila C, Williams TN, Khaggayi C, Nyaguara A, Obor D, Odhiambo FO, Ezeh A, Oti S, Wamukoya M, Chihana M, Crampin A, Collinson MA, Kabudula CW, Wagner R, Herbst K, Mossong J, Emina JB, Sankoh OA, Byass P. (2014). Mortality from external causes in Africa and Asia: evidence from INDEPTH Health and Demographic Surveillance System Sites. Glob Health Action. 7:25366. Volume 7, Issue 1.

6. Oduro, A R., Wak, G., Azongo, D., Debpuur, C., Wontuo, P., Kondayire, F., Welaga, P., Bawah, A., Nazzar, A., Williams, J., Hodgson, A. and Binka, F. (2012). Profile of the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance System. International Journal of Epidemiology. Vol.41, issue 4: Pp 968-976.

7. Azongo DK, Awine T, Wak G, Binka FN, Oduro AR (2012). A time series analysis of weather variability and all-cause mortality in the Kasena-Nankana Districts of Northern Ghana, 1995-2010. Glob Health Action. Vol 5: Pp 14-22.