The University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has unveiled a pioneering three-year research initiative at the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), aimed at tackling neonatal infections and the escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

The project is supported by the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) under its Global Research Programme.

Titled "Enhancing Infection Prevention and Rational Antibiotic Use for Neonatal Infection in Four Health Facilities in the Volta Region,” the initiative seeks to reduce neonatal deaths caused by drug-resistant infections while reinforcing Ghana’s national fight against AMR.

The research would be implemented across four facilities: the Ho Teaching Hospital, the Volta Regional Hospital (Hohoe), Margaret Marquart Catholic Hospital (Kpando) and the Keta Municipal Hospital.

These sites were strategically chosen to represent different levels of healthcare delivery, ensuring context-specific evidence generation.

The project is organised into four key work packages: Infection Prevention, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Behavioural Science and Economic Evaluation, with an additional emphasis on Regulation and Policy to ensure findings inform national health strategies.

The Director of the Centre for Malaria Research at UHAS Institute of Health Research (IHR), Dr Matilda Aberese-Ako, emphasized that while effective interventions exist, their success depends on tailoring them to local contexts.

She noted that the study’s findings will directly feed into national health policy through collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Food and Drugs Authority.

The Head of Paediatrics at the HTH, Dr Selorm Tsrakasu, described the initiative as “timely and essential,” citing mounting pressure on neonatal intensive care units due to drug-resistant infections.

Senior Lecturer at UHAS School of Medicine, Dr Kokou Hefoume Amegan-Aho, who is the Principal Investigator of the initiative, highlighted systemic gaps such as poor hand hygiene, weak diagnostic capacity and inappropriate antibiotic use as critical drivers of neonatal infections, underscoring the need to address these issues to reduce newborn mortality.

The project’s core management team includes Dr. Aberese-Ako and Prof Kwame Ohene Buabeng, Dean of the UHAS School of Pharmacy, supported by experts in infection control, antimicrobial stewardship, behavioural science, health economics and regulatory policy.

Oversight will be provided by a steering committee featuring leading public health figures such as Prof Evelyn Ansah and Prof Margaret Gyapong.

Aligning with Ghana’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Use and Resistance, which prioritises infection prevention and stewardship, the initiative responds to alarming findings from previous studies in Ho Municipality reporting high rates of neonatal sepsis.

Over the next three years, the UHAS research team will collaborate closely with participating health facilities to implement tailored strategies, strengthen infection surveillance, and build healthcare worker capacity.

The ultimate goal is to generate actionable evidence that saves newborn lives and informs both regional and national policy.

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UHAS launches new research to fight baby belly infections

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