The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) on the 15th and 16th of February 2024 hosted its Annual General Scientific Review Meeting (ASRM) to evaluate the performances and major activities that took place in the Centre the previous year.
The two-day event which was themed, “Exploring the Synergies Between Health Research and Academia for Development and Excellence in Tertiary Education”, brought together key stakeholders and professionals in the health research sector and academia to deliberate on relevant topics on the said theme.
The director of the Navrongo Health Research Centre, Dr. Patrick Ansah took time to welcome the guests stating how their presence is significant to the success of the event. He proceeded to make a presentation which covered an overview of the Centre, major scientific activities the Centre has been involved in during the year 2023, major ongoing projects in the various departments of the Centre, significant infrastructural developments during the year 2023 and concluded with plans for 2024. He ended by imploring staff and all to continue to work, collaborate and support the activities of the Centre to deliver on its mandate.
The opening of the program saw panel discussions where Dr. Raymond Aborigo, Head of the Social Science and Public Health Department, Dr. Engelbert Nonterah, a senior Clinician Research fellow with the Clinical Science Department, Professor Kwara Nantomah, professor of Mathematics at the CK- Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) and Dr. Evelyn Sakeah, senior lecturer and Head of Department of the Population, Family and Reproductive Health Department of the School of Public Health (CKT-UTAS) attend to questions on sub themes of the review.
During the panel discussion, questions centered around themes such as how to foster a culture of collaboration between academia and health research institutions, how interdisciplinary collaboration between academia and health research can lead to a holistic understanding of health related issues, strategies for student engagement in research opportunities to enhance learning experience and skill development and faculty development and capacity building geared towards equipping educators to integrate health research into their teaching practices effectively.
The other round of questions revolved around how to make Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics Education attractive to young girls, strategies for translation of research findings into practice and the role of international collaborations and partnerships in advancing global health agendas.
The opening day of the event ended with presentations on findings from the Respectful Maternity Care Survey in Two Regions in Northern Region, the social-cultural context of women’s autonomy and utilization of ANC and facility delivery in the Upper East Region and the Integration of Point of Care Test (POCT) technology into primary care settings to advance diagnosis and care of children with sickle cell disease.
The 2024 NHRCASRM continued the second day where presentations on updates from the Biomedical Science Department, the Social Science Department, the Clinical Science Department and the Data Science Department were delivered. Also updates on the Epimal Studies, Covid-19 trials/Sanofi and Pharmacovigilance were presented. The event concluded with presentations and discussions on various scientific studies conducted by staff of the Centre.
The director of the Centre, Dr. Patrick Ansah delivered his closing remarks expressing gratitude for the successful event and entreated the need for commitment and support for the Centre’s initiatives to ensure the sustainability of the Centre.
The 2024 NHRC Annual Scientific Review Meeting exemplifies the vital role of collaboration between health research and academia in fostering development and excellence in tertiary education.