On Friday, the 24th of February, 2023, UDS in conjunction with the GhGenome project held the GhGenome Public Lecture as part of a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the University for Development Studies, School of Medicine.
The Lecture was one of the nationwide public lecture series held to create awareness of sickle cell diseases, childhood cancers and the prospects of the initiative.
The lecture was given by the Director of the GhGenome project, Professor Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, who also is the Founding Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), the Programme Director of the Sickle Cell Genomics of Africa (SickleGenAfrica) Network and President of the Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana. The lecture was held at the Andani Andan Academic Chambers
Dignitaries in attendance were chiefs and sub-chiefs, the Registrar for the University for Development Studies, Mr Nurudeen Issah Abubakar, The Dean and Vice Dean of the School of Medicine, Professor Stephen Tabiri and Professor Gideon Helegbe respectively. Also present was Ms. Tungteiya Dramani, the Ghana’s Most Beautiful Queen.
The lecture was in two sessions, and highlighted the fact that in Africa, 1 in every 50 newborns are born with genetic diseases that go undetected due to our poor health healthcare infrastructure.
He added that the burden of undiagnosed diseases and very low genetic information had led many people to jump to conclusions.
Prof. Fiifi Ofori-Acquah also revealed one of the team’s projects: “The 1000 Ghanaian Genomes Project”. This project would involve the sequencing of the DNA of 1000 Ghanaian children with severe genetic disorders such as Sickle Cell Disease as well as children with rare genetic disorders, developmental delays and cancer.
The project has also rolled out two(2) Master’s and One (1) Doctoral Graduate Training Programme(s).
One of the Master’s programmes rolled out is the MSc in Genetic Counseling which is designed to provide cutting edge training in genetics while fostering a strong foundation in counselling. Accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, this programme is the first in Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa.
The other Master’s programme is the MPhil Medical Molecular Genetics.
This project’s PhD programme is the PhD Medical Molecular Genetics which is designed to train a new cadre of biomedical scientists, students, healthcare professionals that’ll champion the advancement of Medical Molecular Genetics in Africa.
Scores of people in Tamale also received free genetic health screening for sickle cell conditions, breast and prostate cancers and developmental delays at the forecourt of the Dakpema Chief’s Palace the following day, Saturday the 25th of February, 2023.
There is a need for Africans, and specifically Ghanaians to grasp the necessity of genetics and that is what the GhGenome Project seeks to achieve.
Prof. Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah brought his lecture to an end by making the everyone take a pledge to get screened and encouraged others to get screened.
The Public Lecture was admirably emceed by ace broadcast journalist, Mr. Abdul Hayi Moomen who currently is the Head of the University’s Relations Office.
Reported by:
Samuel A. Issifu (Poet Kearls),
MBChB ’27
University for Development Studies,
UDS – Tamale
Written by:
Priscilla Kukua Goka,
MBChB ’24.
University for Development Studies,
UDS – Tamale.