The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) proudly celebrates its founding director, Professor Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare, who has been conferred with the prestigious Millennium Excellence Award (MEA) for Biomedical Global Finding Excellence.
The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) at the University of Ghana concluded a two-week intensive capacity-building workshop on varcoding, a cutting-edge molecular fingerprinting method used to monitor the diversity of var genes in Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria.
The Ghana Science Museum was abuzz with excitement as hundreds of students from across the capital gathered for the 2024 Ghana Science Festival.
Accra, Ghana – A Brewing Crisis in the Slaughterhouses
Beneath the clamour of butcher knives and the steam of boiling pots, a silent but potentially devastating health crisis is taking root in Ghana’s slaughterhouses.
Accra, Ghana — From May 14 to 16, 2025, the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) was host to a transformative gathering of minds, as it welcomed leading scientists, researchers, and fellows from across Africa and the United Kingdom for the second Annual Scientific Meeting of the Crick Africa Network (CAN).
Wellcome Trust-funded project will build on research that facilitated thousands of diagnostic laboratories to adopt sequencing capacity for COVID-19 during the pandemic and permit the characterisation of future infectious threats
As part of activities to mark World Malaria Day 2025, the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) organised a comprehensive community health outreach in Chorkor, a coastal community in Accra. Held under the global theme “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” the initiative aimed to raise awareness, provide essential healthcare services, and strengthen ongoing efforts toward malaria elimination.
The outreach featured free health screenings, including tests for malaria, hepatitis B, random blood glucose, blood pressure, and Body Mass Index (BMI). In addition to testing, participants received onsite treatment and engaged in educational sessions on malaria prevention, medication adherence, and healthy lifestyle practices to promote their overall health and well-being.
Dr. Yaw Aniweh, Senior Research Fellow at WACCBIP, shared insights on the Centre’s dual approach to malaria research and its relevance to public health.
“We have been here before to engage in research. Our work is in two folds: we work on the mosquitoes and the parasites. Even with the parasite, we have individuals who are in the community and have the parasite but do not show symptoms, and those who show symptoms, which is the reason they go to the hospital. With our presence here, there are two things that we are doing. Aside from the testing, we also do education, helping people understand the disease and all the things associated with the malaria parasite. This is very necessary in our fight against malaria. If you go to the hospital and they give you antimalarial drugs after a test is conducted and shows that you have malaria, please complete your dosage. Not completing it will make the parasite resistant to the drugs over time, and gradually, resistance will take root and spread. As the resistance increases, we will lose the ability to use that drug, which is a very big problem. So, the other thing we need to do is to help the community maintain cleanliness and sleep under mosquito nets, and in doing so, prevent the disease.”
Dr. Gloria Amegatcher, a Postdoctoral Fellow at WACCBIP, highlighted the Centre’s broader commitment to translating scientific research into tangible community impact.
“Today, being World Malaria Day, we have gathered here at Chorkor to give back to society—testing people, giving them medication, and helping to eliminate the disease—because we are accelerating the fight against malaria for an equitable world. The moment we are able to test, we'll know whether the person has been exposed or not, and then we will treat them. Having treated, we'll be able to track it. Then tracking leads to total elimination, and that is what we are all fighting for. We are all mobilising our efforts so we will be able to fight against malaria, so that we have a malaria-free world.”
Ernest G. Cudjoe, a participant, shared his appreciation for the exercise and urged for its continuation:
“We thank WACCBIP for the screening exercise they did today. It was very fun and fantastic. I want to urge them to continue doing this exercise because a lot of people are sick in the house, and they don’t know. But with them, some of us have found out we have malaria, and now we can treat it. So, they should continue doing this exercise and help other areas become aware of malaria so that we can treat it. Once again, I’m urging everybody: please try to be neat, keep your house and your compound clean, and our gutters—we should clean them so that we can eradicate malaria in our areas and vicinity.”
This outreach aligns with WACCBIP’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge research with public engagement and health promotion. By directly serving communities and sharing scientific knowledge, the Centre continues to lead efforts in combating malaria and other infectious
diseases across Ghana and West Africa.
The event was made possible with support from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), UK, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA, and partners of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP).
OVERVIEW
The University of Ghana Collaborative on Climate Resilience and Sustainability (UG-CCReS) is committed to developing the next generation of African scholars and researchers focused on addressing climate resilience and sustainability challenges.
Programme Title:
MSc. Bioinformatics
Level of programme:
Master of Science ( MSc)
Institution:
West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens - University of Ghana
The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) organised a two-week intensive training workshop for researchers to track insecticide resistance and strengthen genomic surveillance efforts.
In a world where sound connects us, where laughter, music, and conversation weave the fabric of our daily lives, hearing loss remains a silent epidemic, often overlooked yet profoundly impactful.
The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) has concluded a two-week hands-on training workshop on Antimicrobial Resistance, Bacterial Genomics, and Bioinformatics, equipping participants from sub-Saharan Africa with the skills to monitor, detect and combat AMR-a global health challenge.
Workshop Details
Dates:
Beginner Level: 3rd – 14th February 2025
Intermediate Level: 10th – 21st March 2025
Application Deadline:Monday, 30th December 2024
Application Link:https://redcap.link/kev6r22c
Sponsor: GSK (Travel and accommodation expenses fully covered).
Who Can Apply?
Workshop overview:
Wet Lab Groups (Beginner & Intermediate): DNA extraction, PCR, Library preparation, and Sequencing.
Beginner Bioinformatics Track: Basics of Programming (Linux, Python, R), Quality Control, Genome Assembly and Annotation, AMR genes prediction and Biological Databases.
Intermediate Bioinformatics Track: Advanced Programming (Linux, Python and R), Quality Control, Genome Assembly and Annotation, AMR genes prediction, Pipeline Development and Biological Databases.
Requirement:
Note: Intermediate participants must have basic Linux knowledge. Pre-installed Linux server accounts and course materials will be provided, along with 5–6 hours of pre-course reading.
Selected applicants will be notified after the application deadline.
Enquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The 2024 edition of the WACCBIP Senior High School Outreach Programme, which took place from November 19 to 21, engaged students from over 15 schools across three districts in the Western Region.
The West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), in partnership with the National AIDS Control Programme, marked World AIDS Day 2024 with a community outreach event at Dome Market in Accra on December 1.
We are looking for a highly motivated Research Project Manager to join the Ghana team of the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Establishing Regional Hubs for Genomic Surveillance in West Africa, at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
On October 25, West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) received a visit from a delegation of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) delegation led by their new component head, Viktor Siebert, accompanied by Jasper Sablah, Head of Component, Support to Vaccine Manufacturing in Ghana and David Acheampong, Technical Advisor for GIZ Ghana.
In response to the World Bank’s call for proposals for African Centres of Excellence, the University of Ghana proposed the establishment of the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) at Legon.
