WHO African Region Monitoring Vaccine Effectiveness (AFRO MoVE) Network team visits KHRC

February 24, 2023 | News | Reading time: 3 min

A team from the WHO African Region Monitoring Vaccine Effectiveness (AFRO MoVE) Network which is a network to monitor vaccine effectiveness in the African region visited KHRC as part of their visit to Ghana to document best practices and learn from Ghana’s experiences as well as offer any technical support. The visit began from February 20, 2023 and will end on February 24, 2023.

The mission was led by Dr. Jason Mwenda (COVID-19 VE lead). Other team members included Dr. Angelina Rose (Epidemiologist at Epiconcept), Mr. Archibald Worwui (VE Data manager), Dr. Mucho Mizinduko (Epidemiologist and Research Scientist-Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam-Tanzania) and Dr. Michael Rockson (WHO Country Office) and Dr. Sally-Ann Ohene (WHO-Country Office).

At KHRC, the team was welcomed by the Director, Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante and briefed on the history and research activities of KHRC. Dr. Dennis Adu Gyasi, Research Fellow at KHRC made a presentation on behalf of KHRC and highlighted the key thematic areas which include clinical trials and intervention, operational and implementation research, communicable and noncommunicable diseases, environmental health, malaria and neglected tropical diseases, health policy and programme evaluation and family health research. Capacity building opportunities offered by the Centre, were discussed

The team had the opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. The AFRO MoVE team highlighted the importance of measuring vaccine effectiveness, COVID-19 vaccination in the WHO African Region, COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness evidence gap and AFRO-MoVE activities.

The team made a tour of the KHRC facility including the laboratory, data science department, clinical trial facility and later visited the Kintampo Municipal Hospital.

Prior to their visit to KHRC, the AFRO MoVE team joined the WHO Country office to pay a courtesy call on Dr. Anthony Adofo Ofoso, Deputy Director General, Ghana Health Service at the Headquarter in Accra where the discussion centred on the COVID 19 vaccine effectiveness study in Ghana and progress made.

Whist in Accra, the team visited some study recruiting site such as the 37 military hospital and Greater Accra Regional Hospital. Koforidua Regional Hospital was visited and discussion with staff and management at all the hospitals centred on participants recruitment and associated challenges. At the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), the team visited the virology department where samples for the VE study are received and tested for COVID-19. The team were briefed on sample transport and reception, PCR testing, sample storage, documentation and reporting.

A debriefing meeting was held at KHRC at end of the visit and the Centre was praised for leading the Ghana study and putting up outstanding performance among all the participating countries in Africa. A second debriefing meeting is expected to be held at the WHO country office on Friday 24th February, 2023.