From the Director

The Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) continues to be strategic for its own continual existence as well as being a lot more relevant in its research activities, not only to Ghana as a country, but to the international community as a whole. The drive to build on new initiatives and the urge to sustain a centre of excellence took the best part of our focus in the year 2009 as reported in this document.

It is again gratifying to report that the year 2009 saw KHRC through the successful completion of our largest project – the ObaapaVita trial that enrolled over 200,000 women in childbearing age and followed them up over an eight year period within seven districts in the Brong Ahafo Region. This trial allowed us to assess the effects of regular doses of vitamin A on maternal mortality. Regular funding from the Department for International Development (DFID), UK, through the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to us in KHRC resulted in the smooth running of the "ObaapaVitA" trial. We also intervened on behalf of the newborn children of the mothers participating in the "ObaapaVitA" trial by rolling out as a neonatal interventions trial (NEWHINTS).

The centre has been progressing extremely well in other areas of research, having been established as a centre of excellence for malaria drugs and vaccines trials. Drug trials of Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) anti-malarials have been carried out within this reporting period. The promising results generated from the clinically most advanced malaria vaccine, the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) RTS,S malaria vaccine being tested under the sponsorship of the Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) in collaboration with GSK has led to a pre-licensure trial of this vaccine that is currently ongoing and in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID) branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA has been supporting malaria research work over the next five years starting in 2006 as evident in a contract signed with the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC).

The role of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) in the treatment of malaria using ACTs is being investigated. An effectiveness trial of the newly recommended ACT in Ghana is also being researched into. The results from these projects will provide useful feedback to the National Malaria Control Programme in Ghana and in other malaria endemic countries.

The Mental Health unit having completed a situational analysis in the whole country carried out a district level intervention. These include the Mental Health Multisectoral Forum which is made up of the various stakeholders in the Kintampo North Municipality; the provision of community level treatment, support and rehabilitation; the formation of four users’ and carers’ association; the collaboration between the traditional and faith healers in the two districts and the district level mental health information system.
 
The Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) within the Kintampo North Municipality and the Kintampo South district has expanded our scope of work in Population-Based Surveillance as the tracking of study participants and monitoring of the population dynamics have been enhanced further. A new HDSS has been started by KHRC in the Newmont Ahafo Mining area and this is expected to provide new research opportunities.

The mandate of KHRC to research into health problems pertaining to the middle belt to help inform policy within the Ghana Health Service/ Ministry of Health has been progressing very well. These goals can be achieved only through the unity and hard work among the rank and file of the staff. The business/strategic plan for KHRC is being followed stringently and has helped in charting our research agenda and keeping us on course. The major achievements include the creation of KHRC Advisory Board, increased collaborations, meeting targets on proposal submission and publications in peer reviewed journals among others.

I wish to thank all again, especially the traditional and political authorities, opinion leaders, and the community members within the areas that we work (Kintampo North Municipality and the Kintampo South district, Nkoranza North and South districts, Techiman, Wenchi and Tain districts), for their unflinching support, co-operation and interest in our activities.

My sincere thanks go to the staff of KHRC and the Director of the Research & Development Division of the Ghana Health Service. I wish to thank the Regional Director of the Brong-Ahafo Region, the District/Municipal Directors in KHRC’s area of operations as well as the Medical Superintendents and all staff of the various health facilities for their cooperation and support over the period under review.

May I take the opportunity to thank our donors, funding agencies and collaborators, sister institutions and our sector ministry for the continued interest and support for our activities.

Dr. Seth Owusu-Agyei, Director, KHRC.