The Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana (SCFG) has announced the appointment of Professor Solomon Fiifi Ofori-Acquah as its new President with immediate effect.
The new President, according to a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, has several years of experience in translational basic and clinical research in sickle cell disease (SCD).
After succeeding the late Professor Kwaku Ohene-Frempong, Prof. Ofori-Acquah would provide overall executive leadership at the SCFG.
Professor Ofori-Acquah is a globally renowned academician, researcher, Professor of Medical Laboratory Science and Associate Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics.
He is the outgoing Dean of the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences in the University of Ghana and Founding Director of the West African Genetic Medicine Center (WAGMC).
The President is also the Programme Director of the Sickle Cell Genomics of Africa (SickleGenAfrica) Network, and Director of the Ghanaian Genome (Gh-Genome) Project.
His research interests are in the molecular pathogenesis, genetics and innovative therapy of acute complications of SCD.
He recently won a $3 million research grant to sequence the whole genome DNA of children with SCD in Ghana, which he had parlayed to launch the Gh-Genome Project.
Sharing some of his experience working with Professor Ohene-Frempong for nearly 30 years, Prof Ofori-Acquah said: “I am honoured to continue and grow the work started by my friend and mentor and excited about our mission to support the development of resources and services to help improve the health and quality of life of people with SCD and related conditions”.
“I am grateful to the Board and the dedication of the whole team at SCFG. Together I believe we will continue to advocate for quality healthcare and a supporting society for persons living with SCD in Ghana, and to bring transformative treatments to combat SCD in this country,” he added.
Prof. Ofori-Acquah has served on multiple national and international scientific and technical committees.
He was a member of the National Technical Advisory Committee for Newborn Screening, and more recently the African Health Diagnostic Platform (AHDP) Technical Committees, both under the Ghana Ministry of Health (MoH).
He recently represented Africa at a high-level retreat held in the US to develop strategies for gene-based cures for HIV and SCD.
He has served on the review committees for many funding agencies, including the National Institute of Health, Wellcome Trust, American Society of Haematology and the American Heart Association.
Prof. Ofori-Acquah is a native of Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana and alumnus of Adisadel College, where he was the Cadet Sargent Major.
He holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics and an MSc in Bio-molecular Organization from the University of London, Fellowship of the Institute of Biomedical Science in the UK, and an Executive Leadership Certificate from Emory University, Atlanta, USA.
The Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana (SCFG) is a non-governmental organization with the mission to support the development of resources and services to improve the health and quality of life of people with sickle cell disease and related conditions.
The organization serves as an Agency of the Ministry of Health (MoH), and as Programme Manager of the National Newborn Screening Programme for SCD.
In addition, the SCFG, together with the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service is a member of the Ghana-Novartis Public-Private Partnership in Sickle Cell Disease.