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Ghana Hero

The Ghana Learning Abroad Program has facilitated the 3-week faculty-led program for over 10 years to Ghana, West Africa. Our Ghana program is a fantastic opportunity for students with or without a background or interest in health to work with community members, academicians from both Ghana and the U of U as well as Ghanaian graduate students to improve the health of rural Ghanaian communities in West Africa. Students will have the opportunity to see first-hand the role public health plays in a global community. While in Ghana, students will be able to observe and participate hands-on in functioning, effective projects that have been successfully implemented and are positively changing health conditions in West Africa.

Optional Amsterdam Add-on
Student can add an additional 1-week to their Ghana Learning Abroad program by heading to Amsterdam. The Amsterdam add-on will give students the opportunity to see and study public health history and culture sites of Rome.

QUICK INFO:

Location: Kumasi, Ghana (West Africa)
Program Length:
Ghana only: 3 weeks
Ghana + Amsterdam: 4 weeks
Number of Credits:
Ghana only: 4 credits
Ghana + Amsterdam: 5 credits
Eligibility:
The Program is open to all UofU students and
Non-UofU students



 

DATES:

Summer
Ghana June 29 - July 20, 2024
* Optional Amsterdam add-on: July 21 - July 27, 2024
Application Deadline: February 14, 2024

PROGRAM COST (estimate):

Ghana only
Undergraduate: $5,270
Graduate: $5,330
Ghana + Amsterdam
Undergraduate: $6,472
Graduate: $6,547

    Ghana & Amsterdam map
    •  
      • Accra, Ghana, West Africa
    •  
      • Kumasi, Ghana
      • Kumasi is a city of approximately 3.3 million people located in the interior of Ghana. Like other regions of Africa, Ghana suffers from disease, poverty, and other pressing social issues. Field work and activities will take place in Kumasi and surrounding villages. On the weekends, students will be able to visit the Cape Coast, tour slave castles, and visit the rainforests of Ghana. They may also choose to visit a wildlife reserve and take part in the natural beauty this country has to offer.
    •  
      • Mole, Ghana, West Africa
    •  
      • Busua, Ghana, West Africa
    •  
      • Amsterdam, Netherlands
      • Amsterdam is the Netherlands’ capital, known for its artistic heritage, elaborate canal system and narrow houses with gabled facades, legacies of the city’s 17th-century Golden Age. Its Museum District houses the Van Gogh Museum, works by Rembrandt and Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum, and modern art at the Stedelijk. Cycling is key to the city’s character, and there are numerous bike paths.
    Scott Benson
    Scott Benson, MD, MPH, PhD
    Main Director
    Division of Public Health
    Family and Preventive Medicine
    Ty Dickerson
    Ty Dickerson, MS, MPH
    Co-Director
    Department of Pediatrics
    Assistant Dean, Global Health Education,
    School of Medicine

    Pending approval

      • Kwame Nkruma University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
      • Ghanaian students and faculty from KNUST
      • Local health care practitioners
      • ghana-photo4.jpg

        Typically, projects are broadly related to research or service. Where possible, students will have the opportunity to review various projects in order to match their interests or skills to a particular activity. See below for examples of ongoing and past research and activities:

        • ACOVID-19 antibody testing and s survey assessing their knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices surrounding COVID-19
        • AWASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene)
        • Antimicrobial Resistance Among Potential Human Pathogens in Water & Sanitation Systems in Rural Ghana
        • Survey of local incidence and knowledge, attitudes and practices of acute and chronic pain
        • Point Prevalence of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
        • Access & Barriers to Contraception the Barekese sub-District
        • Household biofuels and Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Rural Ghana
        • Maternal Child Health
        • Adult Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk Study
        • Diabetes Surveillance
        • Family Planning
        • Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Micronutrient Supplementation Among Women of Reproductive Age in Rural Ghana
        • The impact of skin disease on the quality of life in rural communities of Ghana

    Scott Benson, MD, PhD, MPH

    Faculty Director

    Abby Holdaway

    Recruiting Coordinator

    abby.garlock@utah.edu
    801-581-8858