ABSTRACT
Eugene Kofuor Maafo Darteh, PhD, MPhil, BA (Hons), is a Professor of Social Dimensions of Sexual and Reproductive Health at the Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast. He is a career academic and researcher with almost two decades of working experience. His research interests include: Social Dimensions of Reproductive Health, Women’s Health, Adolescents’ Sexual Behaviour and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence.
He was born on the 23rd of August 1974 in Yamfo in the Ahafo Region (then Brong Ahafo) to Mr. and Mrs. Darteh. He hails from Biemso No.1 in the Ashanti Region and he is the first of four children.
Education
He began his education at the University Primary School, Cape Coast, Ghana, in 1980. In 1986, he sat and passed the Common Entrance Examination. He was admitted into St. Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, for his secondary school education in 1986, where he obtained both his O and A level certificates in 1991 and 1994 respectively. There was a year’s break between his O-Level and A-Level Education due to his failure to secure a credit in O-Level Mathematics (a turning point in his academic life). He stayed home for a year to resit this before returning to the College to continue his education in 1992 and completed his A’ Level in 1994.
After a year of National Service, he enrolled at the University of Cape Coast in 1996 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Hons.) in Population and Family Life Education. To fulfil his desire to pursue a career in academia, he obtained a Master of Philosophy degree programme in 2004 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2014, both at the University of Cape Coast.
Kenya as Research Traineeship Fellow as the first West African to join the Fellowship. He worked at APHRC for three years and returned to Ghana in October 2006.
He was appointed Lecturer at the then Department of Geography and Tourism, University of Cape Coast, on the 1st of February 2007, promoted to Senior Lecturer on the 1st of October, 2013, Associate Professor on 1st February 2018 and Professor on the 1st of February 2021.
He has over 65 peer reviewed journal articles in Scopus indexed journals, a book chapter, a number of technical reports and modules to his credit. Over the period of his employment at the University of Cape Coast, he has supervised and graduated five PhD holders, and more than 30 M.Phil. and M.A. thesis. He has also examined over 50 MPH theses and five PhD theses from Universities in Ghana and abroad.
Career
Prof. Darteh started his working life as a Senior Research Assistant at the then Department of Geography and Tourism in 2002. A position he held for a year. In September 2003, he joined the African Population and Research Center (APHRC), Nairobi, Kenya as Research Traineeship Fellow as the first West African to join the Fellowship. He worked at APHRC for three years and returned to Ghana in October 2006. He was appointed Lecturer at the then Department of Geography and Tourism,
University of Cape Coast, on the 1st of February 2007, promoted to Senior Lecturer on the 1st of October, 2013, Associate Professor on 1st February 2018 and Professor on the 1st of February 2021. He has over 65 peer reviewed journal articles in Scopus indexed journals, a book chapter, a number of technical reports and modules to his credit. Over the period of his employment at the University of Cape Coast, he has supervised and graduated five PhD holders, and more than 30 M.Phil. and M.A. thesis. He has also examined over 50 MPH theses and five PhD theses from Universities in Ghana and abroad.
Prof. Darteh has served as an Academic Editor and reviewer for numerous internationally reputable journals such as PLoS and BMC. He has provided mentorship to a number of young academics who are occupying positions in academia, research and industry.
Prof. Darteh has since his appointment in 2007 served on numerous University boards, committees and ad-hoc committees as a chairman or member. These include: Chairman, Committee of Heads of Halls, 2018 to date; Chairman, University of Cape Coast COVID-19 Campaign team, March 2021 to date; Chairman, University of Cape Coast/Nduom School of Business and Technology Management Committee, February 2021 to December 2021; Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Campus Transport Restructuring and Implementation, December 2019 to March 2020. Member, Students’ Financial Support Committee,University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast; Member, Ad-hoc Committee on Student Transport and Shuttle Restructuring, April 2019 to July 2020; Chairman, Students’ Emergency Relief Fund, August 2016 to July 2018. Chairman, Students’ Welfare Assistance Fund, August 2016 to July 2018; August 2012 to August 2014. Chairman, Electoral Committee for Students’ Elections, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast. Vice Chairman, Electoral Committee for Students’ Elections, August 2010 to August 2012; Member, Academic Board, University of Cape Coast August 2018 to date. Member, Executive Committee of Academic Board, University of Cape Coast, August 2018 to date; Member, Resource and Development Committee, August 2018 to date; Member, Joint Admissions Board, August 2018 to date.
Member, Committee of Heads of Halls, July 2008 to July 2018; Member, Residence Committee, July 2009 to date; Member, Appointments and Promotions Committee, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Cape Coast, August 2018 to date; Member, College Board, College of Humanities and Legal Studies, University of Cape Coast, August 2018 to date.
External Engagements
Prof. Darteh has been a chair and member of a number of Governing Boards/Councils. He is currently the Chair, Governing Board of National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA). He also served as a Board Member of the National Population Council (NPC) between 2018 and 2020. He was a member of the Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Zongo and Inner City, 2018 to 2020. He currently serves on the Human Resource SubCommittee of the National Petroleum Authority and he has been a Member of the Governing Board, OLA College of Education, Cape Coast, since 2019 representing the University of Cape Coast. He represents the University of Cape Coast on the Research and Publication Committee of Fomena Nursing Training College.
He has been a volunteer of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana since 1999 and has served and continues to serve on a number of Committees.
Major Funded Research Projects Undertaken
Over the years, he has worked with colleagues and collaborators to attract funds for some research projects.
These include:
2022: Co-PI. Sub-Saharan Africa University Gender-Based Violence Research and Prevention Network: Assessment and Interventions for University-Based Violence. Funded by Center for Global Health Equity, University of Michigan. Ongoing. Amount: US$99,976.39 2021: Local Consultant. National Consultancy to Handle Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SHR&R) and Gender Equality Thematic Areas of Country Programme 7 Evaluation of Ghana Country Office. Funded by UNFPA. Completed. Amount: Gh₵ 86,400.00
2020: Co-investigator. Creating a Network for Gender-Based Violence Prevention at Universities across sub-Saharan Africa. Ongoing. Amount: $10,000.00
2019: Co-investigator. The Dynamics of Health Care Utilisation in the Context of RTS, S/AS01 Vaccine Introduction in sub-Saharan Africa: A Qualitative Longitudinal Panel Study. Collaboration with UHAS, 2019 to date. Funded by: PATH, USA. Ongoing. Amount:$188,773.10
2017: Co-investigator. Measuring sexual violence at the University of Cape Coast: Developing and deploying a campus climate survey. A collaboration with colleagues from Michigan University, Ann Arbor. Funded by Small grant award from African Studies Centre, Michigan University, Ann Arbor. Completed. Amount: $10,000.00
2017: Co-investigator. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Leisure of Persons with Disability in Ghana, a collaboration with colleagues from the Departments of Population and Health and Tourism and Hospitality Management. Funded by DRIC, UCC. Completed. Amount: Ghs 30,000.00
2017: Co-investigator. GAIN: Gaining an understanding of gender-based violence in Ghana. A collaboration with colleagues from Michigan University, Ann Arbor and Centre for Gender, Research and Advocacy (CEGRAD), UCC. Completed. Amount: $10,000.00
2017: Co-investigator. Exploring Bystander Intervention in Ghana. A collaboration with colleagues from Michigan University, Ann Arbor and Centre for Gender, Research and
Advocacy. Completed. Amount: $10,000.00
2014-2016: Team Member. Review of Ghana’s 2000 Adolescent Reproductive Health Policy. Funded by Palladium International/ National Population Council. Amount: $140,000.00
2012: Co-investigator. An 18-month multicountry survey on Preventing Unsafe Abortion titled ‘The Relationship Between the use of Misoprostol and the Type and Severity of Abortion Symptoms: A Multi-country Study’. 2012- 2014. Funded by WHO. Completed. Amount: $36,000.00
Awards/Grants/Fellowships
2022: Research Excellence Award (Total number of papers from 2016-2020), University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast
2019: DHS Fellowship award from DHS Program, Maryland, USA
2019: Small grant award from African Studies Center, Michigan University, Ann Arbor University of Cape Coast Research Awards and Grant.
May – July 2014: Short-term fellowship award from African Studies Center, Michigan University, Ann Arbor
2009: International Union for the Scientific Study of Population. Travel grant to attend conference in Marrakech, Morocco
2009: International Society for Urban Health. Travel grant to attend conference in Nairobi, Kenya
2009: Union of African Population Studies. Travel grant to attend conference in Arusha, Tanzania
Consultancies/Outreach/ Technical Reports
Prof. Darteh has consulted for various Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Donor Agencies including: Marie Stopes; Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG); Ford Foundation, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) -African Regional Office; Palladium; GIZGhana; World Health Organisation (WHO); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)
Social life
He is married to Mrs. Florie Darteh and they have a daughter - Ms. Janie Sarpon Darteh. He is a staunch Catholic and worships at the Catholic Seat of Wisdom, University of Cape Coast, and is a member of the Knights of St. Johns International.
ABSTRACT
Behaviours that increase individuals’ susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV & AIDS, unintended pregnancies and psychological distress are termed Risky Sexual Behaviours (RSB). Some of these RSBs include having unprotected sex (sex without condom or inconsistent use of condoms), having multiple sexual partners, having sex under the influence of alcohol and drugs, or having sex immediately after watching pornographic media among others. These behaviours could have some debilitating effects on the individual and society with the ramification being graver among young females.
Using data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys collected over a period of about 30 years; in this lecture, I seek to examine RSB among cohorts of young people aged 15-24 years across five (5) data points to see if the phenomenon has changed over the last 3 decades. Also, I will establish the determinants of RSB among adolescents using the first and more recent data points (i.e.,1988 and 2014) to determine whether these have changed over time.
The message from this inaugural lecture is that, RSB has been and continues to be part of the lives of young people in our society. The major factors associated with these behaviours include peer influence, poor monitoring and connectedness of parents to adolescents, inappropriate parenting and role models, inadequate basic skills to deal with emotional and social changes taking place in young people’s lives and residence in poor environments.
The solution for dealing with RSB requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders. We must stop burying our heads in the sand like ostriches, and accept RSB as a reality among young people so that we can implement pragmatic interventions to deal with this phenomenon. We might have to revisit the discussion on the introduction of reproductive health education; improve the level of parental connectedness with young people and provide basic skills for dealing with emotional and social changes. Also, I advocate for the creation of safe spaces for young people to discuss their reproductive health problems. Finally, we need to adopt a holistic approach to the promotion of the health and wellbeing of young people in the country. These, I believe, will ensure that young women attain the foundation on which they can build their current and future health and wellbeing thus helping in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 1,2,3,4 and 5.