Ghana’s Sodzi-Tettey becomes first African to serve on Board of Int’l Society for Quality in Healthcare

A past Vice President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, has been elected to serve on the prestigious International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua).

The Ireland-based society collaborates with a wide network of individuals and associations across the globe to improve the quality and safety of healthcare worldwide.

Dr Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey is currently the Executive Director and Head of the Africa Region of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

Before his election onto the Board of ISQua, he served as Assistant Editor of the ISQua Journal.

He is also a founding member of the International Academy of Quality and Safety, an institute that advances quality in healthcare delivery throughout the world through professionalism.

His new appointment is touted as a testament of the contribution many young Africans make in improving the quality and safety of healthcare in Africa and across the world.

A public health physician, Dr Sodzi-Tettey also has years of clinical and management experiences in frontline district medical practice.

He has also conducted high-level training and short term consultancies in quality improvement with a number of organizations in Saudi Arabia, India, Ethiopia, Liberia, Nigeria and in the United States working with a diverse group of organisations like the World Health Organisation, Care India, Centre for Integrated Health Programmes, Nigeria, Kind Saud Medical City, Saudi Arabia, among others.

Dr Sodzi-Tettey told GhanaWeb that his mission as a member of the ISQua Board will be to promote scientific writing in Lower-Middle Income Countries (LMICs) by rolling out a Mentorship Model.

“I also intend to expand professional development opportunities for Africans and members from LMICs,” he said.

He said will promote diversity on ISQua’s Board and operations by creating space and amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups.

“I am humbled by the overwhelming support i got from colleagues globally, especially across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East and from Europe and North America," he said.

He added: “I wish to express sincere personal gratitude to Prof Sheila Leatherman from the US who gave me my first opportunity at ISQua at the 2012 conference in Geneva, Dr Emmanuel Aiyenigba from Nigeria, Dr Andrew Likaka from Malawi, Jacqui Stewart from South Africa, Prisca Atogsiyah from Ghana, Prof Ezequiel Garcia Elorrio from Argentina, Dr Wafa Allouche from Tunisia and Dr. Peter Lachman from South Africa without whom this feat would have remained but a dream.”