NHRC holds forum to brief chiefs of Kasena-Nankana, stakeholders on research activities

The Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) has held a forum to disseminate research findings of projects it has conducted to the Traditional leaders and community members of the Kasena-Nankana area.

The one-day dissemination forum held at the Pe Dr. A.B Adda Memorial Conference Hall on Wednesday was to inform the Paramount Chiefs, the people and major stakeholders about the outcome of research projects that have been carried out by the Health Research Centre in the last couple of years within their operational area.

The forum, which is an approach to strengthen the relationship between the Centre and the local community, was also used as an avenue to collect critical feedback from the Chiefs and people and the stakeholders on activities and research projects of the Centre which will be used by management to map out new strategies for effective operations.

The engagement also enabled leadership of the Centre to identify some of the challenges stifling research activities in the various communities so that they can be effectively managed.

Speaking at the forum, the Director of the Centre, Dr. Abraham Oduro, stated that it has been part of the Centre’s policy and practice to bringing together the Chiefs of the Kasena- Nankana area yearly to brief them on activities of the Centre including projects and research findings.

Highlighting the important role the traditional authorities play in health research activities in the area, Dr. Oduro explained that the support of the chiefs could help in dousing rumours that are associated with research related projects.

He noted that such rumours can have weakening effects on the performances of field research activities and called on the Chiefs to continuously offer the Centre their support in helping to educate and inform their community members with the knowledge they acquire from the dissemination forums.

He said “We are a community-based field research station and most of our activities are community-based. So it means that anytime that we do any research activity, we need to go back and tell the communities where most of these activities took place the outcome or findings of those research activities. It has over the years been part of our practice to every year invite all the Paramount chiefs within our catchment communities, which is the two Kasena-Nankana areas, together and brief them on the work and research findings of our activities”.

“And we need their support. As a community-based research institution, we need to tell the chiefs what we are doing, explain to them and allow them ask questions so that they can in turn explain to their community members what our work is about. This way, rumours about certain projects, like what we experienced with the malaria vaccine, would be avoided.

Touting some of the research studies conducted by the Centre which have informed the health sector policy and impacted the lives of the people despite the several limitations faced, Dr. Oduro appealed to government for interventions that will help the Centre overcome the lack of core funding which remains one of the biggest challenges facing the Centre.

According to him, finding the funding to take care of the remaining workforce after government absorbed 10% of the staff has put a burden on the meagre resources of the Centre.

Another challenge, he added, is the lack of modern research facilities that will help make the Centre globally competitive and open it up for new research grants opportunities.

Dr. Winfred Ofosu, the Upper East Regional Director of Health Service, reiterated the role of the traditional authorities in the execution of scientific health researches in the area, with a call on them not to relent in their support to the Centre.

He commended the Director and staff of the Centre for their hard work that has produced scientific evidence for the building of better policies inGhana’s health service and the international scientific community.

To the people living in the operational areas of the NHRC, Dr. Ofosu entreated them to uphold the genuine love for humanity which encourages them to participate in research activities as subjects.

“The health service is truly grateful to the people of the Kasena-Nankana districts and its environs for the continual support in all research activities of this Centre. Your continual participation in research activities as subjects is born out of the genuine love for humanity”.

Source: Senyalah Castro