Twenty health personnel from across the country have been selected for the second cohort of the Emergency Preparedness and Response to Pandemic short course by the Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative, KNUST in partnership with Mastercard Foundation.

The course which seeks to equip participants with the requisite skills to respond effectively to emergencies and pandemics is under the auspices of the Health Employment pillar of the Collaborative led by Dr. Kofi Akohene Mensah.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Principal Investigator of the Collaborative, Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo delineated the importance of a course in pandemic preparedness in the ultimate transformation of Ghana’s health system.

A special guest, President of the West African College of Surgeons, Prof. Peter Donkor also added: “Training staff in emergency planning and response is fundamental to our bid to handle our health system considering the devastating consequences of disease outbreaks and pandemics on health, communities and the economy.

“We owe it to ourselves to deepen our knowledge and sharpen the skills that are needed to save ourselves and the country.”

Registrar of KNUST, Mr. Andrews Kwasi Boateng admonished the participants to desist from seeking greener pastures abroad.

“We need you to stay in Ghana and serve your communities. You have a lot to offer for the country,” he stated.

The course is in partnership with the University of Toronto. The University of Toronto team lead, Dr. Kimberly de-Souza urged both participants and facilities to hewn their sense of curiosity to achieve objectives of the course.

“I want to give all participants and facilitators one task, and that is to be curious. Let us embrace the opportunity to be curious. Learn from each other so that we can build connections that transcend our borders and create a lasting impact in our communities,” she said.

The Africa Higher Education Health Collaborative in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation seeks to advance healthcare in Africa through three pillars: Health Employment, Health Entrepreneurship and Health Ecosystem.