The Fred Newton Binka School of Public Health of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) emerged victorious at the World Malaria Day quiz competition organized by the University. The competition was the culmination of a series of activities organized by the Centre for Malaria Research of the University’s Institute of Health Research to mark the World Malaria Day.
Seven schools from the University participated in the “what do you know” contest, including the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Sports and Exercise Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, the School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, the School of Allied Health Sciences, and the School of Public Health.
After a tight competition that ended in a tie with the School of Pharmacy, the School of Public Health emerged victorious. Ms Bellama Gado, who represented the School of Public Health, was awarded a plaque and a cash prize for coming first in the competition and was also adjudged the best female contestant.
Dr Mary Akua Ampomaa, a lecturer and counselor at the School of Public Health, said the quiz competition would help students gain the right knowledge about malaria necessary for making informed decisions for the management and control of the disease.
The event showcased the interest of students in the malaria discourse, and with the right information and decisions, the nation could be ushered into the elimination stage. Dr Ampomah noted how a student majoring in nutrition won the competition, which showed the widened scope of focus on the disease by the University.
Questions covered the basis of the malaria disease, as well as the vision for the global celebration, the elimination targets, and drugs involved. The questions were put together by Dr Evelyn Korkor Ansah, the Director of the UHAS Centre for Malaria Research.
As part of the celebrations, there was an online seminar on the theme for the celebration; Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, Implement. Renowned scientist and Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the School of Pharmacy, Dr Fred Newton Binka, was one of the speakers, alongside Dr Keziah Malm, Programme Manager of the nation’s Malaria Control Programme, and Fred Adomako-Boateng, Health Services Director for the Bono Region.
The fourth edition of the UHAS Malaria Newsletter was released as part of the celebrations, and there was also a health walk in Hohoe.
For the most part, the quiz competition was a success, and it helped raise awareness about malaria among students, ensuring that they gain the right knowledge and make informed decisions to combat the disease.