The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) and the CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) in Ghana recently hosted collaborators from the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in New York for a pioneering initiative aimed at advancing research, healthcare delivery, and education in Ghana.

The multifaceted collaboration generally aims to identify areas of collaboration between the partners and support the development of research and institutional infrastructure for patient care and the development of human resource through education and training. The collaboration is set to usher in a new era of progress in patient care, education, and research, with the potential to improve the lives in the Sub-region region.

Consulting with Relevant Stakeholders

The Navrongo Health Research Centre and the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mt. Sinai, have a growing collaboration stemming from a project that aims to use Ghana’s primary health care infrastructure to manage mild to moderate non-communicable diseases (COMBINE). The recent visit by a team of 8, was led by the Chair of the Arnhold Institute, Prof. Rachel Vreeman, the Director for Global Partnerships, Mr. David Plater and the institute’s link to NHRC, Dr.  David Heller.

Together with the Director of NHRC, Dr. Patrick Ansah and the Centre’s lead in the partnership, Dr. Raymond Aborigo, they met with the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, the Director for NCDs at the Service, the USAID-Ghana Mission, the USA Embassy, The German Agency for International Cooperation, and the John Snow Institute to share information on the partnership and explore areas for further collaboration. The team also met with the Navro-Pio, the Regional Director of Health Services and the leadership of the CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences.

At the Navro-Pio’s palace, Dr. Raymond Aborigo introduced the guests and gave them the opportunity to share their intentions with the Chief.  The Navro Pio, Pe Asagepaare II expressed delight at the gesture and stated his commitment to support any activity that would emanate from the collaboration.

Building Institutional Partnerships for Patient Care

It is worth mentioning that collaborating with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) is central to this partnership, which aims to improve patient care in Ghana.

Through institutional partnerships, the NHRC, GHS and collaborators from the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai’s Ichan School of Medicine aim to develop new care models and institute training programs for the health work force to improve healthcare delivery, share knowledge and best practices, and ultimately improve health outcomes in the Sub-region and Ghana as a whole. Accordingly, the partnership delegation met with Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service to discuss policy pathways for joint research in Navrongo to become GHS health programmes. A subsequent meeting with Dr. Efua Commeh, GHS Noncommunicable Disease Program Manager, explored joint study of how Ghana’s signature primary care initiative, the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) program, might offer direct care for hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.

Creating an Agenda and Strategy for Teaching and Training

The collaboration places a strong emphasis on education and training. The role of CKT-UTAS in developing a comprehensive agenda and strategy for teaching and training in various healthcare and research disciplines will be essential in actualizing this objective.

The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) and the CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences (CKT-UTAS) in Ghana recently hosted collaborators from the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine in New York for a pioneering initiative aimed at advancing research, healthcare delivery, and education in Ghana.

During the partnership meeting at CKT-UTAS, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Eric Magnus Wilmot in a presentation listed potential areas of collaboration which included research partnerships, staff exchange, student exchange programs and curriculum fusion and alignment. He expressed his enthusiasm to support the collaboration and requested that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) be developed between the university and the other collaborators. This initiative is expected to significantly improve the education of Ghana’s healthcare workforce and their skill development.

Beyond the COMBINE Study Intervention Platform

This collaboration aims to leverage the expertise and resources of both institutions to address critical health issues and develop innovative solutions to health care delivery that go beyond the COMBINE intervention.

Key among these are partnerships that have already been formed around environmental health, non-communicable disease, and student research placement and mentorship. The COMBINE intervention – namely the CHPS Opportunity for Mentally and Behaviorally Integrated NCD Engagement – is the first initiative to use the front-line nurses and volunteers of the Ghana Health Service’s CHPS rural primary care programme to directly treat non-communicable diseases. Following successful pilot-testing in four CHPS compounds in the Upper East Region, Dr. Heller and Dr. Aborigo aim to compare this integrated hypertension-depression intervention to usual CHPS care in a randomized trial.

Social Event

At a cocktail to draw the curtain on the partnership meetings, the Vice Chancellor of CKT-UTAS reiterated the readiness of the institution to collaborate in knowledge sharing. The 8 visitors from the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai’s Ichan School of Medicine took time to express individually their experiences and enthusiasm at the partnership and how to better grow this mutually beneficial partnership going forward.

In the concluding remarks, the Director of NHRC Dr. Patrick Ansah delight at the success of the collaborative visit and handed over to the lead person of the collaboration at NHRC, Dr. Raymond Aborigo, who expressed profound enthusiasm for the partnership stating that it is a significant step towards harnessing the collective expertise of our international and local partners in advancing research, patient care and education in the sub-region and a step in the right direction to make a lasting impact on health research which will ultimately improve the health and well-being of the populace.