Apr 20, 2023
Global Public Health, a program housed in DFPM’s Division of Public Health, is known locally and internationally for its top-tier training programs and collective expertise in community-based health interventions and research. As such, the program draws in researchers and policymakers from across the globe to join in discussions about healthcare system challenges and innovations in their local sphere of influence.
Last week, Global Public Health welcomed three of these researchers from Ghana: Dr. Daniel Ansong, Dean of the School of Medicine and Dentistry in the Kwame Nkruma University of Science and Technology; Dr. Eric Sarpong, District Health Director for the Atwima Nwabiagya North Health District; and Dr. Emmanuel TInkorang, Regional Director of Health Services in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
During their visit, the three researchers met with Global Public Health faculty and students as well as other interested groups. The visit culminated in a special presentation given by Drs. Tinkorang and Sarpong to Dr. Scott Benson’s Global Health & Global Surgery master’s course, where they were joined by interested staff, students, and faculty from across U of U Health.
“This partnership between your school and Kumasi has been going for close twenty years,” said Dr. Tinkorang during the presentation. “We’ve done a lot, and Ghana Health Services has benefitted from the partnership. We want to strengthen the partnership and see how we can build on the partnership so as to provide better care for every Ghanaian.”
To help build an understanding of ways that Utah students and policymakers can help strengthen the healthcare opportunities in Ghana, Drs. Tinkorang and Sarpong described the health systems of Ghana, highlighting the focus on community work and outlining the organization structures put in place to take advantage of community-based health interventions. In addition to this overview, they also discussed some of the stressors of Ghana’s healthcare system, including lack of trust in medical authorities, conflicts between regional groups, and limited resources and access to transportation. The presenters concluded with a reaffirmation of the power of the partnership between Global Public Health and the Ghanaian health system.
The Global Public Health program runs a yearly learning abroad program in Kumsai, Ghana, where they interact with communities described by Drs. Tinkorang and Sarpong in their presentation. Students on the program work with local healthcare professionals, professors and medical students from Kwame Nkruma University of Science & Technology. U of U students can also spend a short time in Paris to learn more about public health history in France. The program is available to all U of U students and community members.
Thank you to Dr. Ty Dickerson and Dr. Scott Benson, who hosted our visitors and made this exchange possible.