Associate Professor at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Evelyn Yayra Bonnie, has emphasized the need for Ghana to invest in health research and human capacity development. This, she believes, will enable the country to translate scientific discoveries into practical healthcare solutions. According to her, increased government funding for research and training is critical to building the capacity needed to address Ghana’s healthcare challenges.
Prof Bonnie made these remarks on the sidelines of the UGMC Research Symposium held on Tuesday, September 29. The symposium, organised by the Medical Scientific Research Centre (MSRC), aimed to showcase research activities being undertaken at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) and strengthen the link between scientific research and clinical practice. The theme of the symposium was “From Bench to Bedside: Integrating Research, Technology, and Clinical Care in Ghana.”
Prof Bonnie described the location of the research centre within a hospital as one of UGMC’s key advantages. This allows researchers to work closely with patients while investigating health challenges identified in clinical settings. She explained that this setup enables researchers to identify problems, investigate them in the laboratory, and develop solutions that can be applied to patient care.
The symposium provided a platform for researchers to share their ongoing work with the public, particularly because UGMC’s research activities are still at a developing stage. Prof Bonnie stressed that research conducted at UGMC should extend beyond academic findings and produce practical interventions and products that could benefit other health facilities.
Prof Bonnie also emphasized the need for innovations developed through the research programme to be scaled up to other hospitals and healthcare facilities once they have undergone regulatory processes. She noted that government funding remains essential to sustaining research activities, particularly in training and developing the human resources required to undertake high-quality scientific work.
Prof Bonnie warned that inadequate funding could contribute to the loss of skilled professionals, particularly when researchers seek better opportunities abroad. She argued that investing in research and training locally would help retain skilled professionals and equip them to develop solutions to problems confronting Ghana.
Prof Bonnie encouraged participants at the symposium to approach research with an inquisitive mindset and use existing studies as a basis for identifying new areas of investigation. She urged researchers to focus on producing evidence that could ultimately provide solutions to healthcare challenges.
Key points
- Prof Evelyn Bonney calls for sustained investment in health research and human capacity development.
- UGMC Research Symposium aims to strengthen the link between scientific research and clinical practice.
- Research conducted at UGMC should produce practical interventions and products that could benefit other health facilities.
