A delegation from Kennesaw State University (KSU), USA, has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to pursue a grant for the construction of a Public Health Training Centre.

According to the KSU delegation the proposed Public Health Training Centre would not only educate students on clinical health related matters but would equally put premium on violent prevention and conflict management as important facets of public health.

This came to light when Prof. Sam Abaidoo, led a delegation including, Dr. Barbara Blake, Dr. Chi Zhang, Dr. Evelina Sterling from the Kennesaw State University to pay a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, at his office.

Prof. Abaidoo noted that KSU, in collaboration with a UCC team led by Prof. H. S. Amonoo-Kuofi, was working on a grant application to be submitted to American Schools and Hospitals Association (ASHA) to build the facility. He said the Training School would give the requisite skills and capabilities to students to deal vigorously with any eventualities in the discharge of their duties as public health professionals.

As part of their pre-grant meeting the delegation would learn firsthand the Information Technology (IT) capabilities of the University, so that they would know what IT component may have to be included in the grant to improve the proposed training. He placed the current collaboration in the context of long-standing relationship between KSU and UCC dating back to 1999 under Prof Agyapong, a former Vice-Chancellor of UCC. 

Receiving the high-level delegation, Prof Joseph Ghartey Ampiah welcomed Prof. Abaidoo and his accompanying delegation to the University. He expressed joy at KSU for choosing UCC as the institution to collaborate with on the proposed Public Health School. He assured the delegation of his unflinching support for the project.

Prof. Ampiah was hopeful that the KSU-UCC collaborators would get the grant from the USAID/ASHA to build the facility, which will be situated within the Amonoo-Kuofi Medical Village.  The Vice-Chancellor commended KSU for placing premium on IT as part of this planned endeavor, which he said forms part of his topmost priorities in seeking to digitize the University.

The meeting was attended by the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof George K. T. Oduro; the Registrar, Mr. John Kofi Nyan; the Provost of the College of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Harold S. Amonoo-Kuofi. Others included the Dr. William Boateng and Dr. Kingsley Adjei, who are part of the UCC collaboration team.