University of Health and Allied Sciences was founded by an Act of Parliament (Act 828) [3], which was approved by the president in December 2011. However, it began accepting students in 2012. The university is committed to the study, practice, and teaching of the health sciences. The school’s affairs are governed by an interim university council that was established and is led by Professor Kofi Anyidoho, MA (Bloomington), PhD. (Austin). Professor Fred Newton Binka, MBChB (Legon), MPH (Jerusalem), and PhD (Basel), served as the Foundation Vice-Chancellor from March 2012 until July 2016.
The key program the institution organizes is the Office of International Programs of UHAS, which was established in 2015. This program has been put place to make UHAS the university of choice for research and international strategic alliances that would generate young professionals of the necessary caliber to improve the health systems in Ghana and Africa. According to current thought, international cooperation and globalization have become essential components of higher education in the twenty-first century, which is why the Office of International Programs (OIP) was established.
UHAS has established seven schools which include School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, School of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Public Health, School of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, School of Exercise Medicine, and UHAS Basic School. It has two institutions which are Institute of Health Research, and Institute of Traditional and Alternative Medicine (ITAM). It has several centers which include Center for Center for Health Policy and Implementation Research (CHPIR), Center for Malaria Research (CMR), etc.
UHAS-CONTRIBUTIONS
Moreover, during the Covid-19 pandemic, UHAS scientists contributed to the Pan-Africa collaboration on Covid-19 research. The COVID-19 pandemic had evolved in Africa, and the UHAS scientists undertook and provided genetic sequencing data to an African group to describe this. According to an article in the journal Science, researchers from the UHAS Testing Centre supplied genomic sequence information from viruses found in Ghana’s South-eastern corridor (Volta and Oti Regions and the Asuogyaman district of the Eastern Region).
Due to the institution’s contribution to science in Ghana, it has attracted several supports from organizations and other institutions. The School of Nursing and Midwifery (SONAM) of UHAS received ICT facilities from Healthcare Information Technology for Africa (HITA), which is an NGO that is based in Germany. To add to, the president of the republic of Ghana, President Nana Akuffo Addo pledged to support the institution with infrastructural development. According to the President, UHAS is actively working to realize its mission of becoming the country’s premier institution for health learning, teaching, research, and community service, as demonstrated by the significant advancements UHAS has made in health and research.