Campbell’s global footprint increases through community engagement in Ghana

have been given the green light to carry out our activities because our activities were health-related and of benefit to the community members. Once the chief and his council members approved of our activities, they would designate someone to go out and announce to the community (using his voice, a gong, and a drum stick) the intended activities. The community members most often heed the message and gather at the community center at the announced day and time for our outreach and engagement activities,” Ahiawodzi elaborated.

Fifteen College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (CPHS) students and four Campbell University faculty members traveled to Ghana, West Africa, in 2022 for a multi-faceted trip including opportunities for community health outreach, partnership growth, and historic tours.

Dr. Peter Ahiawodzi, associate professor of Public Health, initiated this collaborative trip. Various faculty and deans from Campbell traveled to Ghana for the first time in 2018 and, the following year, the first group of students followed suit. “The world is a global village and the health of the people in the rural communities that we visited should concern us. This is like Campbell reaching out and giving to those communities in fulfilment of the University’s mission,” Ahiawodzi shared.

The 2022 Campbell team was housed in the Hohoe Municipality and focused on community health outreach alongside students from the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS). CPHS student participants were all first- and second-year public health, pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and physician assistant students. Students were challenged to present informative health information to locals through various community engagement activities.

Before any outreach could occur, the team had to follow cultural customs. Every town or village in Ghana has a chief and council of elders. Custom demands that the chief and his council members be informed of any activity taking place in town. Local partners would often inform the chief prior to the team’s arrival so that the chief and the council members could be ready.

“When we arrived, they would welcome us, and we would exchange greetings. The chief’s spokesperson (the Linguist) would then ask us to tell them the purpose of our visit. After listening to our purpose for being in the community, the chief would consult with his council. In all the communities we visited, we

The CPHS students volunteered time at Akatsi College of Education where they interacted with elementary and middle school pupils and taught basic hygiene such as hand washing, teeth brushing, and the importance of exercise and play. Students were also able to round at the local hospital, learn how to conduct real-time surveys, and experience interprofessional teamwork in a nonsimulated setting. Despite coming from different programs, Campbell and Ghanian students shared a common desire to learn, serve, and work together.

Alexis Davis (’25 PharmD/ MSPH Candidate) loved working in an interprofessional team. “Interprofessional teamwork is an essential part of optimal patient care and is also one of the core values of Campbell’s professional health programs. It was a great opportunity to gain real-world experience that allowed students from each program to utilize their skill sets in a way that was beneficial for a team environment and ultimately benefited the communities we worked with,” Davis shared.

Daniel Reuther (’23 MPAP Candidate) discussed the hospitality he felt everywhere he went. Locals were helpful, receptive, and welcoming. Reuther enjoyed his time playing with and educating the children and shared how happy they were.

Reuther also had the opportunity to go into the hospital wards and see how the providers conduct rounds. The students recognized how a lack of resources changed practices. “There were obvious barriers to care that can be seen anywhere, like the lack of specialist services and advanced imaging nearby. Medical residents that I met said they have to improvise to make up for these barriers and lack of resources. They surely make it work with the supplies they have and show no shortage of compassion while doing it,” Reuther noted.

The faculty and students were able to tour some historic sites during leisure times. They were exposed to the beauty and history of Ghana. This included exploring a former slave castle, monkey sanctuary, hiking up a mountain, and swimming in a waterfall.

Jacquelyn Reid (‘25 PharmD/MSPS Candidate) shared, “I feel like Ghana is my home away from home. The people, the food, the atmosphere, everything about Ghana makes me feel welcome!”

Reid went on to share that the Wli Waterfall was one of her favorite moments of the trip.

“I consider myself a very spiritual person and that experience was one of the most refreshing, overwhelming, joyous times of my life. When I called my family to talk about it, I just cried and cried and cried because the abundance of joy and peace that was felt in that water was unreal!”

In addition to serving and educating community members, there were multiple opportunities to increase Campbell’s global footprint. While this trip possesses a public health focus, faculty from other departments have expressed interest in growing partnerships. In addition to PA, pharmaceutical sciences, and public health faculty, the dean of Global Engagement, dean of Campbell Law, faculty from the business school, and director of Campbell’s Teaching Scholars have all previously attended this trip.

Dr. Chris Brievogel, professor of Pharmaceutical & Clinical Sciences, attended the 2022 trip and was able to meet with the school of pharmacy to discuss collaborations. Breivogel examined the possibility of establishing a pharmacy rotation with the dean of the School of Pharmacy, Professor TC Fleischer, and how this partnership could become a two-way exchange with Ghanian students coming to America. They also discussed the possibility of research collaborations.

The response was positive and welcoming. Since returning from Ghana in May, Ortiz Pate has received permission from Campbell leadership to draft a proposal, assess logistics, and begin interviewing applicants for this rotation.

Director of Teaching Scholars for the School of Education & Human Sciences, Dr. Terrie Hampton-Jones, met with the Akatsi College of Education to discuss the possibility of sending future teaching scholars to Ghana. Hampton-Jones shared, “The trip yielded much more than I could have hoped for.” She plans to take a group of education students in the spring of 2023. The focus will be on classroom observations pertaining to engagement strategies, diversity, and inclusion.

The trip provided an opportunity for faculty and students to connect with one another. Ortiz Pate expressed how she was able to connect on a deeper professional level with an advisee as they casually kicked a soccer ball back and forth during an impromptu advising meeting. She was also able to have reflective and meaningful conversations with pharmacy and public health students. These informal conversations allowed student/faculty relationships to blossom in a way that never would have happened sitting in an office.

The trip also revealed the true hospitality and generosity of the Ghanian people. Breivogel complimented dean of Public Health of the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Paul Amuna’s, shirt. The colorful pattern, surrounded by the UHAS logo, had caught Breivogel’s eye. He inquired if there was a school store where he could purchase a similar shirt. Later that day, Amuna called Breivogel out of a meeting and led him back to his office. There, a tailor was waiting to take Breivogel’s measurements. Amuna insisted Breivogel be fitted for a shirt. It was made and delivered not 24 hours later.

Being exposed to people and practices from a different culture was eye opening. Students enjoyed interactions with locals and seeing classroom topics including interprofessional teamwork and cultural competency come to life in a rural environment. The faculty and students collectively said that Alexis anyone interested in global health should consider attending the trip in future years.