Public Health in Ghana – Public and Environmental Wellness – Oakland University
Public and Environmental Wellness
Public Health in Ghana
Study ab<a href="https://absafricatv.com/dj-2effects-road-to-2026-amapiano-afrobeat-hype-mix/” title=”DJ 2EFFECTS – Road to 2026 Amapiano & Afrobeat Hype Mix”>road enables students to experience health in a global setting, explore career options and develop leadership skills
Jul 16, 2026
Public Health in Ghana
In 2022, Kwame Sakyi, Ph.D., MSPH, associate professor of public health in the School of Health Sciences, launched an international study abroad at Oakland University. Collaborating with the Center for Learning and Childhood Development-Ghana, the program takes students to Ghana, Africa, allowing them to gain first-hand experience with health systems in a developing country. Five years later, the program continues to thrive.
The Ghana Experience
For the Public Health in Ghana study abroad, students spend three weeks seeing health in action while making connections and exploring the country. They shadow physicians and engage with caregivers to understand the living experiences of families in a low-middle income country; explore contemporary social issues and potential solutions in global health; and visit historical and cultural sites to understand how colonialism, slavery, environmental conditions, and socio-economic factors influence health and development. Upon returning, the students present a global health issue of interest to faculty members and fellow students.
“People don’t tend to think of Africa as an opportunity for student learning, development and discovery,” Dr. Sakyi said. “But I’ve always thought that if you bring them in contact with a place, they come away transformed because they see that it’s more than what they have heard. I want to help students see the world beyond just where they live.”
The program provides valuable career exploration opportunities for students across disciplines. “Students sometimes want to go into medicine but aren’t sure what exactly they want to do, or they want to try another health profession but aren’t sure what,” Sakyi said.
“On the Ghana trip, the students rotate through different medical departments and participate in public health endeavors,” Sakyi added. “Experiencing different professions in a global setting can solidify whether their chosen area is their calling, or if there’s something else that might work for them.”
The program entered its fifth year in 2026 and continues to grow. While it initially started with undergraduate students in the School of Health Sciences, it has now gained traction campus-wide, attracting both undergraduate and graduate students not only in health sciences but also medicine, nursing, sociology and more. “We are grateful for the support of the School of Health Sciences, especially Dean Kevin Ball, and the Center for Learning and Childhood Development-Ghana,” said Sakyi. “Without their involvement, the program would not be where it is today.”
Leadership Training
In 2025, the study abroad program introduced preparatory leadership training led by School of Health Sciences Assistant Director for Student Services, Leadership and Engagement Janelle Zora, MPH. This component was offered in part with the National Institutes of Health R15 grant earned by Sakyi, which provides funding for a multidisciplinary research endeavor that studies the effects of pre-term birth on child health and neurodevelopment in Ghana.
The leadership training provided to students is rooted in the competencies of the School of Health Sciences’ ECLIPSE program: communication, teamwork, roles and responsibilities, and values and ethics. It also focuses on essential skills, including conflict resolution, mentorship and cultural competency, that are key to successfully doing team research in an unfamiliar setting.
“The training walked students through a journey of self-discovery that could be applied in a collaborative workspace,” Zora said. “Students explored their leadership style and personality; shared how their identity, culture and upbringing impacts how they navigate the world; and learned tactics for communication, mitigating bias in research and navigating different cultures. They also took a mental health workshop so they had strategies for self-care, while also being able to emotionally support their fellow students or patients.”
The training, while preparing students for their time in Ghana from a research perspective, also undoubtedly took a human-centered approach. “I wanted to ensure that the students were curious and open to learning about Ghanaian culture, while also having the emotional intelligence to interact with different people,” Zora said. “After returning from Ghana, the students shared that they were able to apply what they learned not only while they were in Ghana, but also in their day-to-day life. It’s wonderful to see how it helped them develop both professionally and personally.”
Student Experience
Marieme Samb, health sciences student with a concentration in holistic health, was one of the eight students who traveled to Ghana in 2025. “It was an opportunity for me to witness what global health looked like in practice,” Samb said. “Additionally, coming from West Africa, this experience was a unique change for me. I got to experience a system that is familiar to me in an environment I aspire to work in later.”
For Samb, the time in Ghana was a valuable experience that allowed her to see the multifaceted sides of health care and explore additional health career possibilities, such as public health. “I used to think that being a doctor was the only way to go,” Samb noted, “but during my stay in Ghana, I met many people who did many different things. Each, in their own way, had an impact on people’s health and well-being.”
Samb recommends the Ghana study abroad program to other students because of the uniqueness of the opportunity and the travel component. “Getting to observe a health system from both the public health and medical perspectives is an opportunity that doesn’t come around often,” Samb explained. She added, “The travel aspect also made it even more meaningful because you don’t get to visit another country every day, explore its health care system first hand, engage with a new culture, meet new people, and enjoy incredible food all at once.”
To learn about the Public Health in Ghana study abroad, visit Oakland University’s International Education website.
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