Professor John Owusu Gyapong
Professor John Owusu Gyapong, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development, University of Ghana (UG), has said disease eradication could bring lasting benefits to society.
He said disease elimination and subsequent eradication was a desirable goal that many disease control specialists hoped to achieve. “It represents the ultimate in global equity and the definitive outcome of good public health practice,” he added.
Speaking at the inaugural lecture on the theme, ‘Disease Elimination In Sub-Saharan Africa In The 21st Century: Fact Or Fantasy’ Professor Gyapong said the elimination of smallpox, a little over three decades ago, demonstrated that diseases eradication could bring lasting benefits for society.
As a result, he said several diseases had been identified as potentially eradicable.
Prof. Gyapong said there was global commitment to eradicate poliomyelitis and guinea worm with massive investments by several stakeholders.
He said infectious diseases such as measles, rubella, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, and lately malaria, had received considerable attention for potential elimination or eradication with support of several global health partners and pharmaceutical industries.
Before the inaugural lecture, the academic works of Professor John Owusu Gyapong were exhibited at the Balme Library. The exhibition was opened jointly by three eminent persons, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Ofosu-Amaah, Chairperson for the Opening Ceremony, and Dr. Margaret Gyapong, wife of Prof. Gyapong.
The exhibition was divided into eleven themes including, early childhood and schooling, professional life, burden and distribution of filariasis, social determinants of filariasis and treatment strategies for control of filariasis.
Others include genetic factors related to pulmonary tuberculosis, health systems issues, reducing the burden of malaria, Vitamin A deficiency in Northern Ghana, other neglected tropical diseases and a mixed bag of publications in different areas.
The findings of many of these publications have been presented at various international conferences. Some of these research works have influenced global health policies at the national level and through the World Health Organization (WHO).
Prof. Gyapong expressed gratitude to the university for the opportunity to exhibit his works as well as to individuals who assisted him to mount the exhibition, mentioning in particular Dr. Amoah Larbi, Deputy Director of the Institute of African Studies.
The Vice-Chancellor, UG, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey expressed delight about the exhibitions, saying it was the fourth after his own and those of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Kweku Osam and the Head of the Department of Linguistics, Prof. Kofi Agyekum.
Prof. Aryeetey hailed Prof. Gyapong’s works and credentials as a public health practitioner and researcher, adding that his efforts had brought relief to many Ghanaian households.
The Vice-Chancellor was also optimistic that Prof. Gyapong’s work would be a testament of what the university could do for the nation. He therefore advised senior members and students to take a cue from him.
Addressing concerns of the University Librarian, the Vice-Chancellor commended the Balme Library for its services to the university and wider community and pledged support to the University of Ghana Library Services in a structured manner.
Professor Gyapong heads the office of Research, innovation and Development (ORID). He is a Public Health Physician and an Epidemiologist. He had his basic medical education at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and later studied Public Health (MSc) and Epidemiology PhD at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine of the University of London.
His main area of research is infectious diseases, especially lymphatic filariasis and other neglected tropical diseases. He has been involved in several large-scale field epidemiological trials in Ghana including the Vitamins A Supplementation Trials, Malaria intervention studies and the Social economic impact of lymphatic filariasis.
For over 10 years, he was the Vice-Dean and Professor in Epidemiology and Diseases Control at the School of Public Health of the University of Ghana, and has over 90 publications in peer reviewed journals.
By Cephas Larbi
