NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery @Ghana Hub
The Ghana Hub is hosted by the School of Medicine, University for Development Studies, Tamale, and the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale.
Tamale Teaching Hospital is the tertiary referral centre for the Northern part of Ghana. It serves the five northern regions of Ghana (Northern Region, Savanah Region, North East Region, Upper East Region, and Upper West Region) with a total population of 5,203,838. The School of Medicine, University for Development Studies, and Tamale Teaching Hospital are sited in the Tamale metropolis. The metropolis has an estimated population of 612,000.
The northern regions of Ghana have 23% urban with the rest of the population in scattered rural communities. The poverty incidence amongst these regions of Northern Ghana is high. Most of the districts in the northern part of Ghana have poverty incidence higher than the national average. Healthcare in Northern Ghana as compared to the rest of the country is deprived. Inadequate health professionals coupled with poor health infrastructure has deprived the northern sector of needed healthcare.
Establishing the NIHR-Global Surgery Unit, Ghana Hub in Tamale comes to add up to strengthening the healthcare infrastructure in northern Ghana. In a unique way, the north which is seen as deprived in many ways is a lead in networking the entire nation in surgical research.
STAFF AT THE HOSPITAL INCLUDE:
1 Prof. Stephen Tabiri Hub Director
2 Prof. Francis A. Abantanga FDA Monitor
3 Dr. Napoleon Bellua Sam Deputy Director
4 Dr. Theophilus Adeso Deputy Director
5 Bernard Ofori Appiah Hub Manager
6 Collins Kyeremeh Research Nurse
7 Prince Owusu Yeboah CEI Coordinator
8 Saba Abdul-Hafiz Data Manager
9 Daniel Kwesi Acquah Finance Officer
Professor Stephen Tabiri
Hub Director
Dr. Anita Eseenam Agbeko
Hub Deputy Director
Dr Fareeda Agyei
Hub Deputy Director
Ebenezer Amofa
CEI Lead
Dr Napoleon Bellua Sam
Hub Deputy Director
Daniel Kwasi Acquah
Finance Officer
NIHR Global Surgery Unit International Hubs & Centres
Spoke Hospitals In Ghana
- Tamale Teaching Hospital – Tamale Northern Region
- Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital – Kumasi Ashanti Region
- Cape Coast Teaching Hospital – Cape Coast Central Region
- Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital – Accra Greater Accra Region
- Ho Teaching Hospital Ho Volta Region
- Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital – Takoradi Western Region
- Eastern Regional Hospital – Koforidua Eastern Region
- Sunyani Regional Hospital – Sunyani Bono Region
- Greater Accra Regional Hospital – Accra Greater Accra Region
- Holy Family Hospital – Berekum Bono Region
- Holy Family Hospital – Techiman Bono East Region
- St. Theresa’s Hospital – Nkoranza Bono East Region
- St. Patrick’s Hospital – Offinso Ashanti Region
- Sandema Municipal Hospital – Sandema Upper East Region
- Salaga Municipal Hospital – Salaga Savanah Region
- Goaso Municipal Hospital – Goaso Ahafo Region
The Spokes are selected from across the entire country. It covers the northern to the southern part of Ghana. They are located in a mix of rural and urban settings serving diverse populations of different economic backgrounds. Our network is made up of all the five (5) Tertiary facilities (Teaching Hospitals) in Ghana, five (5) Secondary facilities (regional referral centres), and six (6) Primary facilities (district hospitals).
We plan to expand our network to include some more secondary and primary facilities. Our focus for this expansion will be in the northern sector, southeast as well as southwestern sectors of Ghana.
Ghana Hub Projects
The Ghana Hub is currently taking part in the FALCON Trial, CHEETAh Trial, CRANE feasibility study, ACCESS study, TALON study, KIWI study, PROTECT-Surg, and COVIDSurg Cohort Studies.
Ghana have contributed over 1200 patients into the FALCON trial from 15 sites (Spokes). We are contributing to the TALON as well as the KIWI study. Ghana contributed to the ACCESS study as well.
We are preparing grounds for the CHEETAH Trial which has approval from the Ghana Health Services Ethics Review Committee and awaiting approval from the Food and Drugs Authority of Ghana. CRANE feasibility study has been submitted to the Health Services Ethics Review Committee and awaiting approval.
Bringing together surgeons, researchers and policy makers to set the local research agenda according to patient need in LMIC and ensuring all patients have the opportunity to take part in our research.