Ghana
Country
| Political status: | Peaceful Republic | Birth rate: | 2% |
| President: | John Mahama | Life expectancy: | 57 years |
| Surface: | 238.537 km² | Infant mortality: | 112/1000 births |
| Language: | English | Doctor/patient ratio: | 1:15.000 |
| Population: | 25 million | HIV prevalence: | 1.9% |
Itinerary
- Accra
- Akosombo
- Koforidua
- New Tafo
- Agogo
- Kumasi
- New Adubiasi
- Brenu
- Elmina
- Kakum National Park
- Cape Coast
- Accra
The participants travel in an air-conditioned bus with an experienced English speaking driver on tarmac roads (approx. 1000 km).
Curriculum
Schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, cutaneous larva migrans, malaria, amoebiasis, shigellosis, typhoid fever, Buruli ulcer, leprosy, Dengue fever, Chikungunya fever, West Nile fever and other arboviral infections, HIV/AIDS and related opportunistic infections, DD of fever and diarrhoea in the tropics, WHO-vaccination guidelines for travellers, medical botany, traditional medicine, laboratory diagnosis of tropical infectious diseases.
| Teaching | CME Hours |
|---|---|
| Ward rounds and case presentations | 20 |
| Field excursions | 15 |
| Laboratory manuals | 10 |
| Lectures and round-table discussions | 15 |
| Total CME Hours | 60 |
Program sequence (click every single day)
Day 1: Wednesday
| Transfer from Kotoka International Airport (Accra) to the Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra (5 km) | |
| 23.00 | Briefing on the excursion (Dr. Schaefer). Meeting point: hotel reception |
Day 2: Thursday
| 09.00 – 10.00 | Lecture: update on schistosomiasis (Dr. Schaefer) |
| Drive to Big Ada in the Volta region (100 km) | |
| 13.00 – 16.00 | Rounds in Big Ada Hospital focusing on HIV/AIDS and schistosomiasis (Dr. Narsh) |
| 16.15 – 18.15 | Laboratory manuals: diagnosis of schistosomiasis, (Dr. Agbeko) |
| Drive to Akosombo (125 km) |
Day 3: Friday
| 08.00 – 10.00 | Lecture: update on Malaria (Dr. Schaefer) |
| 10.30 – 11.30 | Lecture: update on Cutaneous larva migrans (Dr. Akamah) |
| 12.00 – 16.00 | Rounds: in Akosombo Regional Hospital. Malaria and other tropical infectious diseases (Dr. Akamah) |
| 16.30 – 18.30 | Field excursion: boat-trip on the Volta river to various fishing villages – habitat of schistosomiasis (Dr. Schaefer) |
Day 4: Saturday
| 09.00 – 11.00 | Lecture: update on Ebola and Chikungunya fever (Dr. schaefer) |
| Drive to Aburi (80 km) | |
| 15.00 – 17.00 | Field excursion: in the Aburi Botanical Garden. Artemisia annua and other plants used in the treatment of malaria (Dr. Felix) |
| Drive to Koforidua (50 km) | |
| After dinner: Participants can (optional) present for about 15 minutes their work-, research- oversea-experience to the doctor group (lecture on USB memory stick) |
Day 5: Sunday
| Drive to New Tafo (20 km) | |
| 08:00 – 10:00 | Visit the Cacao Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) (Mr. Lloyd) |
| Drive to the Presbyterian Hospital in Agogo (120 km) | |
| 12:00 – 13:00 | Lecture: update on Buruli ulcer (Dr. Abass) |
| 14:00 – 17:00 | Lecture: in Agogo Hospital. Buruli ulcer and other tropical dermatological manifestations (Dr. Abass) |
| 17:15 – 19:15 | Laboratory manuals: diagnosis of dermatological manifestations (Dr. George) |
| Drive to Kumasi (90 km) |
Day 6: Monday
| 10:00 – 14:00 | Field excursion: to the Kumasi market. Prevention and control of cholera and other diarrhoeal infections in the largest market of Ghana (Dr. Peter) |
| 15:00 – 17:00 | Visit to the King palace and Cultural Center of the Ashante in Kumasi (Dr. Peter) |
Day 7: Tuesday
| 07.00-08.00 | Lecture: differential diagnosis of diarrhoea in the tropics (Dr. Schaefer) |
| 08.00 – 09.00 | Lecture: update on onchocerciasis (Dr. Schaefer) |
| Drive to New Adubiase Hospital (100 km) | |
| 11.00 – 13.00 | Field excursion: active case finding of onchocerciasis patients in New Adubiase area (Dr. Courage) |
| 14.00 – 17.00 | Rounds in the New Adubiase Government Hospital focusing on patients with diarrhoeal infections (Dr. Allan) |
| Drive to Brenu (100 km) |
Day 8: Wednesday
| 10.00 – 11.00 | Lecture: differential diagnosis of fever in the tropics (Dr. Schaefer) |
| 11.15 – 12.15 | Lecture: update on lymphatic filariasis (Dr. Schaefer) |
| 13.00 – 15.00 | Field excursion: presentation of lymphatic filariasis patients in Brenu area (Dr. Boger) |
| Drive to Cape Coast (20 km) | |
| 16.00 – 18.00 | Visit of the slave museum in Cape Coast Castle (Mr. Blankson) |
| Drive to Brenu (20 km) | |
| 20.00 – 22.00 | Cobra Verde” (directed by Werner Herzog and starring Klaus Kinski) is a remarkable movie about the slave trade in West Africa. The movie is based on the novel „The viceroy of Ouidah“ by Bruce Chatwin and shot in Elmina (close to Brenu) |
Day 9: Thursday
| 8.00 – 10.00 | Lecture: update on Dengue fever (Dr. Schaefer) |
| 10.15 – 12.15 | Lecture: update on leprosy (Dr. Schaefer) |
| Drive to Ankaful Leprosy Hospital (20 km) | |
| 13.00 – 16.00 | Rounds in Ankaful Leprosy Hospital (Dr. Otabil) |
| Drive to Kakum National Park (30 km) | |
| 15.30 – 17.30 | Field excursion: medical botany in Kakum National Park (Mr. William) |
| Drive to Brenu (40 km) |
Day 10: Friday
| Drive to Cape Coast (20 km) | |
| 09.00 – 13.00 | Rounds: in Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. Acute abdomen caused by typhoid fever and other infections (Dr. Morna) |
| Drive to Accra (150 km) |
Day 11: Saturday
| 08.00 – 14.00 | Laboratory manuals: Diagnosis of parasitic infections in the Lancet Laboratories, Accra (Dr. Paul) |
| In the evening transfer to Kotoka International Airport | |
| SUBJECT TO MODIFICATIONS |
Accommodation
Day 1: Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra
Day 2-3: Afrikiko River Front Resort, Akosombo
Day 4: Eastern Premier Hotel, Koforidua
Day 5-6: Royal Lamerta Hotel, Kumasi
Day 7-9: Brenu Beach Resort, Brenu
Day 10: Golden Tulip Hotel, Accra
Travel preparation
Health
You should be in good health and fit.
COVID-19: You have to have a vaccination (BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson eg.) in order to participate at the excursion (TROPMEDEX condition). You need to carry the written proof of your vaccination throughout the excursion in order to visit health facilities in the country. Prevention and control measures for COVID-19 are implemented throughout the excursion. TROPMEDEX will inform you about 2 months before departure about the policy of Corona testing in your home country and in Africa.
You need to be vaccinated against yellow fever. Custom officials check upon arrival your yellow vaccination booklet. It is highly recommended to be vaccinated againt polio, diphtheria, tetanus, typhoid and hepatitis A and to take malaria prophylaxis (malarone or doxycycline). Check wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/ghana. Carry essential medicine with you, and if you like, bring antibiotics, syringes, gloves etc., which are always in need in hospitals! If asked at the customs on arrival, explain that the medicines are for “private use“.
Tourist Visa
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months. Keep copies of the relevant pages of your passport separately. You DON’T get the tourist visa upon arrival at the airport in Accra, Ghana. You apply for the tourist visa at the nearest Ghana embassy or consulate in your home country. Approximately 2 months before departure we will send you a letter of invitation from a hotel in Ghana, which you require for the application of the tourist visa. Until then you don’t do anything.
Luggage
| light trousers | hand sanitizer |
| jeans | mouth-nose-mask |
| shorts/skirt | mosquito repellent |
| shirts | sun cream |
| t-shirts | flashlight |
| light sweater | alarm clock |
| light impermeable wind jacket | universal travel adapter |
| comfortable sport shoes with proper soles | light rucksack |
| slippers | bathing suit |
| sunglasses | small umbrella |
| hat |
Luggage should be packed in a soft, lockable travel bag (no bulky suitcase). Maximum luggage weight is 15 kg per person. You don’t need a mosquito net, white coat or stethoscope.
Medical literature
Oxford Handbook of Tropical Medicine, Andrew Brent et al., Oxford University Press, 4th Edition ISBN-10: 0199692564, ISBN-13: 978-0199692569.
Travel guide
Ghana, Philipp Briggs, Bradt Travel Guides, 8th revised edition, August 2019, ISBN-13: 9781784776282, www.bradtguides.com
Laundry
Service is provided in all hotels.
Money
It is recommended to carry approximately US$ 400,- cash (bills dated after 2010) for meals, drinks, tips and personal expenses. You can withdraw Ghana Cedis cash with your VISA-credit card (don’t forget your pin number!) from ATM machines in Ghana. Other credit cards are less popular.
Insurance
You should have your own comprehensive travel insurance (health, accident, baggage, cancellation etc.) www.worldnomads.com.
Internet, Mobile phone
Wireless is offered in some hotels. Mobile phones (Vodafone) work here as well.
Airlines to Accra, Ghana
- from Europe to Accra (ACC): Turkish Airlines, KLM, British Airways, TAP, BrusselsAir
- from Asia/Australia to Accra: Emirates, Qatar Airways
- from USA/Canada to Accra: Delta (direct via New York)
Airport transfer
A free airport shuttle is provided from the airport to Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra. The driver from the hotel will wait for you in the arrival hall of the airport building holding a blackboard with your name. The transfer takes about 30minutes, depending on the traffic.