The Leeds Beckett University (LBU) of the United Kingdom has awarded Master of Science (MSc) in Public Health Promotion to nine students at its maiden congregation in Ghana at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho.
Professor Francis Zotor, Director of International Programmes, UHAS said the course is aimed at positioning graduates to ‘contribute towards enhancing the quality of life of the Ghanaian populace through the influence of health behaviour of individuals’.
He said the maiden congregation ‘epitomises the true power of academic collaboration between two institutions’ and asked the graduates to make good the knowledge they acquired as it marked their entry into the next level as ‘game changers’.
Professor Sue Sherwin, Dean of School of Health and Community Studies, LBU, expressed gratitude to UHAS for hosting the course in Ghana and also to the graduates for ‘juggling’ academics and other commitments.
She said studying for a Masters in Health Promotion required a commitment to making a difference in the world of health promotion, and public health, and asked the graduates to impact on the wellbeing of communities and individuals, and to make the world a better place.
The course was coordinated by Mrs Grace Kafui Annan, Head of Health Promotion Department, Ghana Health Service (GHS) who in 1994 became the first Ghanaian to be awarded the MSc by the University.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines, she said the social determinants of health were not properly addressed in the country and said it was because health promotion was a fairly new discipline.
Mrs Annan said a Commonwealth scholarship was secured for 15 students and that LBU chose UHAS to host the programme, and registered 18 students from various academic backgrounds as pioneers.
Mr Jerry Fiave was awarded the Dean’s Prize for Academic Excellence.