A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Good Neighbors Ghana, has presented 50,000 tablets of Praziquantel valued at $5,750 to the Biomedical and Clinical Research Centre of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to support the treatment of Schistosomiasis in communities within the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly.
This gesture follows earlier interactions between Good Neighbors and the Centre, during which the two organisations engaged with communities relying on the Kakum River as a water source.
These engagements revealed significant pollution of the river, contributing to the high prevalence of Schistosomiasis in the Cape Coast area.
The Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. Elvis O. Ameyaw, who represented the Provost of the College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS), lauded the NGO for it kind gesture and thanked them for coming to ease the challenges of the people within the affected communities.
“The donation is a testament to the fact that UCC conducts impactful research that yields positive results. We can assure you that the drugs will get to the intended communities,” he continued.
Speaking on behalf of Good Neighbors, Naumun Heo, said that the initiative marked the first project of the NGO in the western part of Ghana.
Naumun Heo making remarks at event
He used the occasion to express gratitude to UCC for the impactful research and added that the NGO would continue to partner with the Centre to alleviate the plight of communities.
“This is the beginning of our partnership, and we are looking at expanding our collaboration beyond this donation,” he said.
The Centre’s Director, Prof. Samuel Kyei, on his part, expressed appreciation to Good Neighbors for its humanitarian gesture.
He emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to ensure the success of the “Schisto” project.
Prof. Samuel Kyei
“This is not an isolated project; that is why we want to get all stakeholders on board,”he remarked.
Prof. Kyei further expressed hope for a lasting partnership with Good Neighbors and other stakeholders, such as the Ghana Health Service, to ensure the continuity of the project.
Source: Documentation and Information Section