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The West Africa Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC) building complex has been inaugurated in order to enhance genetic research and training in Africa.
WAGMC is an African Higher Education Centre of Excellence (ACE) in the College of Health Science at the University of Ghana (UG), Legon.
The facility, which was inaugurated in Accra on Friday, comprises of a 2,800 square metre walking space, a 220 square metre open laboratory, a 200-seatre auditorium, a biorepository, multiple smart classrooms, a genetic counselling clinic, a graduate room, a boardroom, and an administrative and faculty office.
It was funded by the government through the World Bank’s Africa Centres of Excellence for development impact project at a cost of 1.5 million USD.
The construction work of the facility began in July 2022 and was completed in May this year.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, said that the establishment of the facility was an indication that Ghana was capable of developing initiatives and programmes that could transform Africa.
Highlighting the importance of research to the socio-economic growth of the country and Africa as a whole, Dr Adutwum urged the researchers at the medicine centre to undertake outreach programmes and develop the interest of the youth in research.
He also thanked the management of UG, WAGMC, World Bank, and other partners for their support in diverse ways, and also pledged the support of the government promoting academic research at UG and other universities across the country.
The Vice-Chancellor of UG, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, in her opening remarks, noted that the completion of the facility was a major milestone towards the accomplishment of WAGMC’s goal to become a global hub of genetic training and research in Africa.
She also stated that WAGMC had demonstrated a high level of commitment to improving access to genetic health in the county through community engagement.
For instance, Prof. Amfo said WAGMC, in collaboration with the Okyenhene Osagyefo Nana Amoatia Ofori Panin in 2020, provided free genetic testing and screening for over 2,000 according to the Eastern Region.
“In the area of research, WAGMC is home to the SickleGenAfrica Network, a flagship Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) project and the largest SCD cohort in study globally, funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Other projects include Ghana-SPARCO, a collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh to sequence genomes of children with SCD”, Prof. Amfo stated.
According to her, WAGMC would continue to serve and impact the country through community engagement activities for years to come.
Moreover, Prof. Amfo acknowledged the hard work and dedication of Professor S. Fiifi Ofori Acquah, the former Dean of the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences and the founding director of the project, for initiating the process for the establishment of the facility.
“To the researchers, staff, and students of WAGM, you are the heart and soul of this Centre. It is your curiosity, resilience, and drive that will define the legacy of this space”, she added.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTONTETTEY
