Adolescent Health West Africa Projects Receive Representative from IDRC
Research team members of the Adolescent Health West Africa (AdoWA) projects received a senior program manager from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada on August 10th, 2023. At the meeting hosted at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, team members updated the IDRC representative on progress on research work being conducted. Of particular interest to the funder was how the research team has been able to navigate the challenge of engaging multiple stakeholders at several levels. The team explained that that it has been achieved by explaining to national stakeholders especially that the research was not to foist any foreign ideas but to generate solutions that are culturally sensitive and contextually specific in matters relating to adolescent sexual reproductive health as well as mental wellbeing and ensuring that adolescents have the best health outcomes to live to their fullest potential.
Speaking to the team, the representative from IDRC, Natacha Lecours, emphasized IDRC’s 2030 strategy and its commitment to investing in high quality researchin five main areas: Climate resilient food systems, global health, education and science, democratic and inclusive governance and sustainable inclusive economies. She also updated the team on the Women Rise workshop which she had been a part of in Ghana in the two preceding days and the various research projects that were being undertaken on the linkages between women’s health and Covid-19 in various countries including Ghana.The research team also asked questions on funding calls as well as tips to write a compelling grant proposal.
Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights who are partners on the project in the area of research uptake.
The AdoWA projects are two complementary projects on adolescent sexual reproductive health and mental wellbeing.AdoWA-REP is focused on responsive and efficient primary care for adolescents and is hosted at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and funded by the UK MRI. The AdoWA-GTR project on the other hand is hosted at the Dodowa Health Research Centre and is focused on gender transformative and responsive health systems.AdoWA-GTR is funded by IDRC.
Team members represented at the meeting from left to right: Grace Aye, Dr. Emelia Agblevor, Bernice Gyawu, IsaacNyampong, Natacha Lecours, Prof. Irene Agyepong, Dr. Lauren Wallace, Natasha Darko and Nana Efua EnyimayewAfun.
