The Health Community of West Africa Association has successfully launched its Medical and Academic Exchange Committee (H-MAEC), in a high profile event featuring distinguished personalities from China, partner agencies, academia, and health professionals at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
Delivering his keynote address as Executive Chairman of the H-MAE Committee, Dr. Yang Yongguang who is also Captain of 14th Batch of the Chinese medical team to Ghana highlighted the broader significance of the collaboration.
“With the joint efforts of the Chinese and Ghanaian governments, we are not just performing surgeries—we are shaping a healthcare future grounded in shared innovation,” he said.
China’s rapid advancements in minimally invasive surgery and artificial intelligence have positioned it as a leader in medical technology. By extending that expertise to Ghana, the partnership ensures that these innovations don’t remain locked within borders but are used to uplift global health systems. “Minimally invasive technology has brought good news to patients with its advantages of small trauma, fast recovery, and few complications,” Dr. Yang emphasized.
The “Minimally Invasive in Ghana, Bright Vision for the World” project, conducted at Lekma Hospital, stands as a powerful symbol of this effort. More than a clinical intervention, it is a knowledge-sharing initiative that brings the latest surgical techniques and equipment to local settings—while also fostering goodwill and public trust.
But the collaboration is not just about technology. It is about long-term institutional capacity-building. Dr. Yang proposed the establishment of a China-Ghana medical coordination group to plan joint research, conduct regular academic seminars, and drive clinical training. “Through these efforts, we aim to promote mutual learning and reference in medical knowledge and technology,” he said.
The H-MAEC platform was identified as a critical vehicle for sustaining this work. By integrating the partnership into a formal, regional framework, Ghana and China are investing in more than bilateral ties—they are setting a precedent for how emerging economies can collaborate to solve shared health challenges.
“There is still broad room for cooperation between China and Ghana in the medical field,” Dr. Yang acknowledged, calling for expanded cross-border research in AI, ophthalmology, and traditional medicine.
This collaboration also sends a message to the global community: that cutting-edge innovation can and should be shared equitably, and that Africa is not just a recipient of aid but an active partner in scientific advancement.
H-MAEC aims to become a dynamic hub connecting universities, health institutions, researchers, and international partners. The Committee’s formation is also a deliberate response to urgent regional challenges, including brain drain, limited postgraduate training, and gaps in public health infrastructure.
This high-level launch event is not merely a formality it is a strategic milestone to reinforce the foundation for long-term regional and international academic collaboration in medicine, public health, and medical technology.
The committee headed by Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea – Director General of Ghana Health Service has other notable members such as Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, President of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons; Dr. (MH) Yakubu Tobor Yusuf – Registrar of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council, and Dr. Benjamin Kwei, Public Health Physician and Clinic Manager of Essence Clinic Medical Laboratory and Clinic
The Committee serves as a dynamic platform to bridge geographical, institutional, and cultural divides, promoting excellence in medical education, research, innovation, and policy development. The newly inaugurated committee will serve as a hub for connecting academic institutions, teaching hospitals, medical researchers, healthcare professionals, and international partners across borders.
