PUBLIC HEALTH

About the Department of Public Health

Established in 2019 as a unit, the Public Health Department is now a constituent of the School of Medical Sciences. It offers both undergraduate (Bachelor of Public Health – BPH) and postgraduate (Master of Public Health – MPH) degree programmes, having received Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) approvals in 2017 (BPH-Miotso campus), 2022 (MPH-Christ Temple campus), and 2024 (BPH-Kumasi campus). The department operates across all three campuses of Central University. The first cohort of undergraduate and postgraduate students graduated successfully in 2023 and 2024, respectively. As an emerging health-related discipline within Central University, the curriculum aims to provide comprehensive education rooted in public health principles and practices, generate evidence-based research that influences policy decisions in health sectors, create opportunities for students to specialise in elective areas where Ghana has limited expertise, and produce world-class graduates equipped to make transformative impacts, especially on the health of underserved populations in Ghana and other low- and middle-income countries. The department benefits from a dedicated team of competent, skilled, and experienced practitioners, lecturers, and researchers who readily deliver knowledge and practical skills to students, aiming to improve the health and well-being of Ghanaians and beyond, aligning with SDG-3 and the needs of the employment market. Additionally, strong partnerships are maintained with district health directorates near Central University, as well as other health and research institutions, and industry stakeholders involved in the health and regulatory sectors, for collaborative research, information sharing, consultancy, and experiential learning. The department aspires to evolve into a School of Public Health in the near future, expanding its scope and impact through the training of ethical and transformative public health practitioners to serve Ghana’s health and allied sectors and beyond.

Degree offerings

The Department of Public Health offers two (2) degrees across its three (3) campuses

  1. Bachelor of Public Health – Miotso Campus and Kumasi Campus

Facilities & Labs – practical training spaces and research infrastructure

The Department of Public Health collaborates with other academic Units of Central University, like the Schools of Engineering and Technology (SET), Pharmacy (SoP), Nursing and Midwifery (SNM), and Environment and Development Studies (EDS), in offering the practical component of the programme.

Partnerships – industry and international collaborations

The Department has signed Memoranda of Understanding with District and Municipal Health Directorates within the University’s vicinity, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and with the support of other Healthcare, Industry and Regulatory sectors, to help in training both the undergraduate and postgraduate Public Health students in experiential learning and Practicums. The Department also partners with the Pan African College of Education (PANCOED) to train public and environmental health officers in Nigeria.       

News & Events – updates on seminars, achievements, and projects

The department achieved the following material changes and progress within the last quarter

  1. Received a 5-year Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) provisional accreditation for the BPH (Health Information) programme
  2. Received a panel of GTEC assessors for the reaccreditation of the MPH programme on the Christ Temple campus
  3. Rolled out the BPH programme on the Kumasi campus with the first batch of Level 100 students enrolled
  4. Embarked on a one-day field trip with the Level 300 students for community and stakeholder engagement activities at the Ningo-Prampram Municipal Area
  5. Participated and made a presentation on antibiotic stewardship, resistance, and the adoption of one-health mitigation strategies in Africa during the March edition of the monthly research seminars at the School of Medical Sciences
  6. Faculty members attended an institutional lecture delivered by the Chancellor, a workshop on ‘how to publish in top-tier journals, monthly mental health seminars organised by the University’s counselling and placement centre, and participated in the 6th Ghana Green Building Summit, the Sustainable Financing for Communicable Diseases and Mental Health webinar series on ‘Health Taxes: from Idea to Implementation’, Lymphedema Management Training Programme at the Ningo-Prampram Municipal Area, Healthy Diets for Africa (HD4A) Living Lab Stakeholders Workshop, and a GTEC Assessor’s Certification Programme, among others.
  7. Faculty members published a book chapter and four (4) peer-reviewed research articles in reputable journals, with an additional four (4) accepted manuscripts in press

The Head of Department served as a GTEC panel member to assess both undergraduate and postgraduate Public Health-related programmes at Universities across Ghana.

Faculty Directory – name, rank, academic qualification, designation, department, etc

The programme currently has five (5) full-time faculty members, with one (1) on a two-year Sabbatical leave from the University.

  1. Prof. James-Paul Kretchy, Mphil, Ph.D. (HoD)
  2. Dr. Mrs. Susan Amuasi, MPH, Ph.D. (On Sabbatical Leave)
  3. Dr. Virtue De-Gaulle, MPH, Ph.D. (Lecturer)
  4. Miss Joyce Jnr. Asiamah, MPH (Faculty Exams Officer – Physician Assistant)
  5. Miss Hugette Naa Ayeley Aryee, MPH (Lecturer, CUPHSA patron – Dietitian)

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