Mawuli K. Gyakobo; MB, ChB, MSc, PhD, FWACP-Fam. Med

Specialist Primary Care, Family Medicine and Public Health, Dodowa Health Research Centre, Ghana

International Palliative Medicine Fellow

E-mail: mawuli_gyakobo@yahoo.com, mgyakobo@hotmail.com
Skype: yaw_mensah
Internet: www.dhrc-ghs.org

Dr. Gyakobo works with the Dodowa Health and Demographic Surveillance System (DHDSS), one of the three HDSS sites of the Ghana Health Service. The Centre is a member of the INDEPTH network. He evaluates verbal post mortem (VPM) forms and assigns causes of death. He is a member of the institutional ethics review committee and the various arms of INDEPTH EFFECTIVENESS AND SAFETY STUDIES (INESS) in the centre. Dr. Gyakobo is leading the institutionalization of palliative care into the existing health care system as well as the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons as a sub-specialty in family medicine.

Other Appointments:

Family Physician, Dangme West District Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Dodowa, Greater Accra Region
Family Physician, Ridge Regional Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Accra
Trainer, The West African College of Physicians, Faculty of Family Medicine
Trainer, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Faculty of Family Medicine

Key Accomplishments:

Convener and speaker, pre-conference workshop on palliative care in the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, December 2011. About eighty physicians, surgeons and nurses educated on key topics in palliative care.
Lead author on a proposal to develop palliative care in Ghana, including integrating palliative care into the existing health system in the country and institutionalize palliative care in the curriculum of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Faculty of Family Medicine. This proposal has been adopted by the College and Faculty.
Secured funding for the training of the first cohort of palliative care physicians.
Initiated the platform for dialogue on palliative care by key stakeholders including Ghana Food and Drugs Board, National Health Insurance Authority, Ministry of Health, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, The Ministry of Defense, the pharmaceutical companies, and development partners.
Facilitating the integration of palliative care into the National Catholic Health Services

Education / Honors:

Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Global Health, University of Michigan, 2011
Fellow, West African College of Physicians, Family Medicin (FWACP), 2009
PhD in Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana, 2009
MSc in Health Services Planning and Management, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 2001
MB, ChB, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 1996
BSc in Human Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 1992

Key Publications:

Kruk ME, JC. Johnson, M Gyakobo, P. Agyei-Baffour, K. Asabir, S. Rani Kotha, J. Kwansah, E. Nakua, RC. Snow, M. Dzodzomenyo. “Preferences for rural practice incentives among medical students in Ghana: a discrete choice experiment” Bull World Health Organ 2010; 88: 333-341
Agyei-Baffour P, S. Rani Kotha, JC. Johnson, M Gyakobo, K. Asabir, J. Kwansah, E. Nakua, M. Dzodzomenyo, RC. Snow, ME Kruk. “Willingness to work in rural areas and the role of intrinsic versus extrinsic professional motivations – a survey of medical students in Ghana”. BMC Medical Education 2011, 11:56 doi:10.1186/1472-6920-11-56
Johnson JC, E. Nakua, M. Dzodzomenyo, P. Agyei-Baffour, M. Gyakobo, K. Asabir, J. Kwansah, S. Rani Kotha, RC Snow, ME Kruk. “For money or service? A cross-sectional survey of preference for financial versus non-financial rural practice characteristics among Ghanaian medical students”. BMC Health Services Research 2011, 11:300 doi:10.1186/1472-6963-11-300

Key Presentations:

Gyakobo Mawuli (2011), “Overview of Palliative Care Drugs”. Faculty of Family Medicine Preconference Workshop, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Annual General and Scientific Meeting 2011, Accra, Ghana
Gyakobo Mawuli (2011), “Withholding/Withdrawing Treatment”. Faculty of Family Medicine Preconference Workshop, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Annual General and Scientific Meeting 2011, Accra, Ghana
Gyakobo Mawuli (2011), “Palliative Care Model for Ghana”, Faculty of Family Medicine Preconference Workshop, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, Annual General and Scientific Meeting 2011, Accra, Ghana
TEDxUofM: “The Voice of the Dying: The Untold Story”; April 8th, 2011 (“Reflections on the TEDxUofM Conference”, The Michigan Daily, Monday April 25, 2011)
Public Health Students of African Descent (PHSAD): University of Michigan; 2010
Gyakobo K. M., Gemegah A., Enyimayew N., Kunfaa E., Adei S. (2009). “Caesarean Section and Health Insurance in the Kwahu Districts of Ghana”. Book of Abstracts: 3rd Annual Scientific Conference, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. P. 50.
Gyakobo K. M., Gemegah A., Enyimayew N., Kunfaa E., Adei S. (2009). “Rational drug prescribing and health insurance: a case study in the Kwahu Districts of Ghana”. Book of Abstracts: 3rd Annual Scientific Conference, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. .P 52.
Gyakobo K. M., Gemegah A., Enyimayew N., Kunfaa E., Adei S. (2009). “Financial Viability of Health Insurance Schemes: Is Surplus and Deficit enough? A case study of the Okwawuman Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (OMHIS)”. Book of Abstracts: 3rd Annual Scientific Conference, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana. P. 51.
Gyakobo K. M., Amoah G. B. A., Martey-Marbell D (2009). “Anthropometric Proxies of Selected Determinants of Metabolic Syndrome in Rural Practice in Ghana”. 2nd WONCA Africa Regional Conference, Rustenburg, South Africa. P. 29.
Gyakobo K. M., Amoah G. B. A., Martey-Marbell D (2009). “Determinants and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) among Type 2 Diabetics and a Healthy Population in Rural Ghana”. 2nd WONCA Africa Regional Conference, Rustenburg, South Africa. P. 31.
Gyakobo MK., AGB. Amoah, D. Martey-Marbell, R. Snow. “Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS) in a rural population in Ghana.” STEM conference, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. May 2010.