The West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana will from 3rd - 5th July 2017 be hosting the 2nd DELTAS Africa Grantees Annual meeting at the Fiesta Royale Hotel in Accra.

This prestigious scientific meeting, under the theme “showcasing the best so far”, will feature the 11 DELTAS Africa Grantees and associated institutions.

The 2 day event will also bring together more than 170 guests including established and emerging African health research leaders, policymakers, representatives of partners and funders, and other African and international guests.

According to Gordon Awandare, Director of WACCBIP, “This two-day event will showcase the immense talent and quality of our young African scientists. We are expecting over three hundred and fifty delegates and participants from top research institutions, invited guest speakers from Africa, Europe and the USA, as well as the general public”.

“We are particularly excited about this initiative as it seeks to create an avenue for the young scientists to interact and share ideas with stakeholders and senior scientists from some of the leading Universities in Europe and the USA”, Mr. Awandare added.

Dignitaries expected to attend the conference include the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ebenezer Owusu, the Minister of Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang Manu and the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Frimpong- Boateng who will also deliver the key note address at the opening ceremony on July 3, 2017 at 8.00am.

A Nobel Laureate Prof. Peter Agre, who was awarded the prize for Chemistry in 2003, is expected to be in attendance. Prof Agre, an American Physician and Molecular Biologist and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, will also deliver a Vice Chancellor's Occasional Lecture at the University of Ghana on Tuesday July 4 2017 at 4pm in the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) Conference Room.

The DELTAS Africa Initiative is an independent funding scheme of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS)’s Alliance for Accelerating Excellence in Science in Africa (AESA), and supported by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD), with funding from the Wellcome Trust and the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

This event will be followed by the Second WACCBIP Annual Research Conference from July 6-7, 2017 at the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University Of Ghana, Legon conference room under the theme “Improving Health through Advanced Research and Training”.

The opening ceremony will be on July 6, 2017 at 8:30 am and will be chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development, Prof. Francis Dodoo. The key note speaker will be Prof. Fred N. Binka, the Founding Vice Chancellor, University of Health and Allied Sciences.

The occasion will be graced by The Country Director of the World Bank, Mr. Henry Godfrey Rupiny Kerali, the International Operations and Partnerships Adviser of the Wellcome Trust Dr. Oliver Wills, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education Prof. Salifu Mohammed, the Deputy Minister of Health Hon. Kingsley Aboagye Gyedu and the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng who will officially open the conference.

WACCBIP is one of the institutions being supported by the Government of Ghana under the World Bank African Centres of Excellence (ACE) in Higher Education Project. WACCBIP is also supported by a grant which was competitively won from the Wellcome Trust’s Developing Excellence in Leadership Training and Science (DELTAS) Africa Programme.

WACCBIP is a collaborative effort between the Department of Biochemistry and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana.

The mission of the Centre is to improve diagnosis, prevention and control of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa by providing advanced level training and research excellence in cell and molecular biology of infectious pathogens.