Benjamin Yamoah

Nine African Centres of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE impact) have signed a performance and funding agreement with the Ministry of Education to focus on scaling up postgraduate education in the country.
The centres hosted in five public universities in the country, were also tasked to scale up applied research that was fundamental to economic growth in the region.

The government is working with partners to ensure that people living with sickle cell diseases (SCD) have access to Hydroxyurea, a more efficient drug for the treatment of the disease in the country through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who announced this in Accra yesterday, said: “We have the opportunity as Ghana to be the first African country to ensure that access to Hydroxyurea and its associated treatment costs are granted through the NHIS to every Ghanaian whose doctors and nurses prescribe this medicine for them.”

Scientists at the University of Ghana have successfully sequenced genomes of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic, obtaining important information about the genetic composition of viral strains in 15 of the confirmed cases in Ghana.

Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, Dean, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, and Centre Leader, West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC) has been appointed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States (US), as Permanent Member of the Haematology research committee, known as the Molecular and Cellular Hematology Study Section. The appointment is for a six-year term from 2019-2025.

Washington, D.C. – The US Assistant Secretary for Health, ADM Brett P. Giroir, M.D., presented the Assistant Secretary of Health (ASH) Exceptional Service Medal to Dr. Kwaku Ohene-Frempong recognizing him for his outstanding contributions on behalf of the millions of people worldwide suffering from sickle cell disease (SCD). The civilian medal is awarded for exceptional achievement to the cause of public health and medicine, and is the highest civilian award from the Public Health Service, which includes all health divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Ohene-Frempong is the first civilian recipient of the ASH Exceptional Service Medal.

The West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), a new African Centre of Excellence (ACE) in the University of Ghana, has completed a 3-week outreach programme in the Akyem Abuakwa State.  As Chair of the Medical sub-Committee of the Royal Tour commemorating the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Okyenhene, Osageyfo Amoatia Ofori Panin, Professor Solomon Ofori-Acquah, Dean of the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences seized the opportunity to propel WAGMC into the national limelight by launching the Centre’s first community outreach programme as an integral part of the anniversary celebrations.

Novartis and the Bill has announced its collaboration with Melinda Gates Foundation to discover and develop an accessible in vivo gene therapy, thus a new method of gene therapy to cure Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

A press release issued by the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana indicated that the agreement with the foundation will provide funding support for the discovery and development of a single-administration.

Global educator Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah has established research centers in Ghana and the U.S.