The University of Ghana has launched three postgraduate genetics programmes to prepare specialists to treat diseases like sickle cell, breast, and prostate cancer.
Master of Science (MSc) in Genetic Counseling, Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Medical Molecular Genetics are the latest programmes.
They are an essential component of the university’s West Africa Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC), which was established in August of last year and is run by the GhGenome project.
Seven students began the MSc in Genetic Counseling in January of last year, making it the first programme of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, and six students have been permitted to pursue their studies this year. This year will mark the beginning of the MPhil and PhD programmes in medical molecular genetics.
In an interview with Daily Graphics, the director of the centre, Prof. Fiifi Ofori-Acquah, also stated that a Genomic Medicine Complex building was being built at the university to assist the training of more health professionals in genetics.
According to Prof. Ofori-Acquah, a former dean of the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences of the University of Ghana, by the end of the center’s initial funding in 2025, they hope to have trained close to 100 students with master’s degrees in various aspects of genetics, about 45 PhDs in different areas of genetics, as well as help develop the consciousness of citizens about genetics.”
Prof. Ofori-Acquah added that there were no independent genetic health clinics in Ghana, with the exception of those for sickle cell, breast, and prostate cancer.
