Selected journalists and media practitioners from the Volta and Oti Regions have gained specialized knowledge in nutrition and public health following a two-day capacity-building workshop organized by the Fred N. Binka School of Public Health at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in collaboration with Women, Media and Change.
The training aimed to empower media practitioners to drive impactful conversations on critical development challenges, including graduate unemployment and childhood stunting.
The workshop also marked the official launch of the UHAS-NKABOM Mastercard Project, a transformative 9.8 million dollar initiative supported by a 10-year grant from the Mastercard Foundation. The project seeks to create dignified employment opportunities for three million young Ghanaians while addressing malnutrition and childhood stunting.
Prof. Frank Baiden, Dean of the Fred N. Binka School of Public Health and Principal Investigator of the NKABOM Project, described the initiative as a watershed moment in the School’s history. He explained that NKABOM, meaning togetherness in Akan, embodies a collaborative impact, bringing together seven Ghanaian institutions and McGill University in Canada to restructure Ghana’s public health education.
The revised curriculum will incorporate stronger entrepreneurial components, ensuring that graduates gain practical, hands-on experience with a balance of theory and practice. These reforms will introduce innovative solutions such as agro-waste processing, aquaculture technology, and full value chain agribusiness education, equipping young professionals to create employment rather than rely on job hunting.
Beyond education, the NKABOM Project also seeks to uplift youth, women, and marginalized communities through sustainable livelihood initiatives. Community-based research is currently underway to develop scalable models to tackle childhood stunting, focusing on rural and underserved areas.
Prof. Baiden urged journalists to champion the project’s mission by amplifying awareness through their reports. He stressed the media’s crucial role in promoting social accountability, influencing policy, and advocating for development interventions.
The media practitioners pledged to use their platforms to amplify the impact of the NKABOM Project and hold duty bearers accountable for its successful implementation.
Additionally, the Dean called on the media to advocate for the completion of UHAS’s permanent campus at Fodome, emphasizing the urgency of moving the university to its designated home.
The NKABOM Project is set to redefine Ghana’s public health education and build resilient, self-sustaining communities by 2030.
