Health college wants more funding for research activities
Professor Aaron L. Lawson, Provost of the College of Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, on Wednesday called for the support of corporate organizations in funding the college’s research activities.
He appealed to the Management of the GETFund to consider increasing its financial allocation for research to the College, as the nation stood to benefit greatly from the outcomes.
Prof. Lawson, who was delivering his welcome address at the opening of the College’s Sixth Annual Scientific Conference in Accra, said the dissemination of the knowledge acquired from research conducted was just as important as the research process.
He said in the past, brilliant research findings of scientists and researchers had only ended up on the various shelves in academic institutions despite all the efforts, however, the institution of the Annual Scientific Conference had served as an avenue for sharing such knowledge and information to empower society at large.
He explained that the three-day conference under the theme; “Lifestyle Changes and Non-Communicable Diseases,” was another way through which the college sought to engage with its stakeholders and partners on issues that needed to be carefully looked at through the lens of research.
Some of the topics to be treated include “Women’s Health in Ghana, Population and Its Effects on Health, and Feeding the Critically Ill Patient”.
Prof. Lawson said although a characteristic of the scientific lectures was that researchers willingly shared results of their findings with health policy makers, what was required to ensure that the findings benefitted society, was adequate resources and national support.
He said the discussions from the various sessions would provide an indepth view of health situations, thus helping all stakeholders propose appropriate means of tackling the increasing burden of handling issues of diseases associated and rising from lifestyle changes in Ghana.
Mr Rojo Mettle Nunoo, Deputy Minister of Health, affirmed the urgency of public-private partnership in providing support for research activities of academia.
He, however, gave the assurance that the ministry would engage the college in discussions on innovative ways of raising funds for research activities.
Mr Mettle Nunoo said current statistics on emerging trends of non-communicable diseases including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cancers among Ghanaians, called for intensified scientific researches and discussions to generate concrete ideas and approaches.
This, he said, would aid the formulation of appropriate policies to combat the non communicable diseases.
Mr Mettle Nunoo commended the college for its continuous role in producing highly qualified and competent health professionals and medical scientist to manage the country’s healthcare system.
He reiterated the ministry’s commitment to intensify activities and advocacy on Regenerative Health through healthy lifestyle campaigns, which also provided wider education and insight into the benefits of adopting such measures adding that most Ghanaians were now becoming aware of certain negative attitudes that resulted in acquiring non communicable diseases.
He expressed the hope that through intensified advocacy, collaborative researches, private sector support and media education, the issues pertaining to lifestyle changes and non communicable diseases would be reduced to the barest minimum.
Source: GNA