Ghana: American Varsity, Breast Care International Sign Mou

Sebastian R. Freiku, Kumasi

21 July 2011

The LOMA Linda University (LLU) in California, USA and Breast Care International (BCI) of Ghana have agreed, in principle, to work in partnership to develop and implement public health-related projects.

The basic objective of the partnership is to enhance service delivery to improve public health, healthcare services, programme development, and workforce development. The LLU and BCI would continue collaborating in the joint planning and implementation of educational and research services in the area of public health.

The two institutions have since July 6, 2011 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to that effect, under which the agreement between the LLU and BCI seeks a long term relationship, renewal every three years.

Dr. Richard Hart, President of the American University, and Dr. Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Chief Executive officer of BCI, signed the document, which takes effect from July 1, 2011. Under the agreement, the LLU and BCI propose to continue the development of their relationship through collaboration in public health practice, and leverage efforts at capacity building.

The proposed areas of joint collaboration between the two organisations include the personnel collaboration of faculty, staff and students on either short-term or long-term basis to benefit both organisations in the development of community-based public health programmes, and health administration through training and resource sharing.

The LLU, according to the MoU, will provide technical assistance to the BCI for collaborative grant funding opportunities for projects which shall be jointly co-ordinated upon agreement in advance. The MoU, however, does not impose any financial obligations on the parties, meaning each organisation would bear its own costs and expenses incurred in the performance of the agreement.

The BCI is also in partnership with the Cancer of Coalition (NCC) of Raleigh in the USA to provide medicines for Ghanaian health facilities in the fight against cancer and other diseases, for which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2009.

Following this MoU, the NCC has since supplied US$23 million worth of drugs, including lamotrigine, fliphenazine levetiracetanm, buspirone, fluoxetine, risperidone, lactated ringers and dextrose for distribution to health institutions in Ghana.

The beneficiary health institutions in Ghana include the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, in Accra; Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, the psychiatric hospitals, Atua Hospital in Somanya in the Eastern Region, Tamale Teaching Hospital and the Bolgatanga Government Hospital.

The BCI and NCC have also secured a grant from US pharmaceuticals manufacturer, Johnson and Johnson to provide oncology training for registered nurses in Ghana, under the NCC’s women cancer initiative, which seeks to secure modern therapies and technology to address the management and treatment of cervical, breast and ovarian cancers.

The BCI, established in 2002, as a subsidiary of Peace and Love Hospitals in Accra and Kumasi, preoccupies itself with the promotion of awareness of breast cancer by engaging Ghanaian women in screening, diagnosis, counseling, treatment and rehabilitation.

It is on record that about 150,000 women have since been screened for breast cancer since BCI got involved in the awareness creation on breast pathologies.

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