Meet Ghanaian David Abass, recipient of our 2023 travel bursary, supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Healthy Ageing Challenge!
We are delighted David Abass has accepted our our 2023 travel bursary offer, supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Healthy Ageing Challenge, to join us at the Global Ageing Conference, 7-8 September 2023.
David is a nurse, gerontologist, and practitioner of Public Health at the Effiduase District Hospital, Sekyere East, Ashanti region, Ghana.
After completing his Registered General Nursing (Diploma) training, he was hired as a nurse for the Ghana Health Service in 2006, and received his first formal posting to the Ejura Municipal Hospital. Here David completed his Rotation/National Service, and after just three years, became Nurse Manager in an interim capacity.
In 2011 he completed his Bachelor of Science in public health in 2011 (with the Health Education Option).
It was when David undertook the role of coordinator of the diabetic and hypertensive clinic, his interest in in the welfare of older people increased; this led him to take a master’s degree in gerontology in 2013. David is currently enrolled in an MPhil Applied Epidemiology program and is researching chronic diseases common in people with advanced age such as dementia and stroke.
In addition to his work and studies, David also volunteers for a number of organisations, including the Ghana Red Cross Society.
“The conference is going to be instrumental for me to meet experts in the care and welfare of older adults from specialised fields. In addition, the conference will help grow my competence through connecting and learning from peers, as well as potential and current experts in the welfare of older adults.
“Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the conference will provide a great opportunity to advocate for the welfare of senior citizens in my community who lack access to the same opportunities, healthcare services, and facilities as those in more developed nations.”
David also has a special interest in the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030) and Sustainable Development Goal 3, which calls for the promotion of the provision of primary healthcare services that are tailored to the needs of older people, person-centered and integrated healthcare system.
“My actions are ‘skewed’ towards health promotion, research, improvement in healthcare services and rehabilitation services for older adults. Also, my activities and interests are focused on supporting hospitalised older persons with chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, dementia, and cardiovascular diseases,” he says.
In this video, David explains further his work in Ghana.
UKRI’s Healthy Ageing Challenge aims to help people remain active, productive, independent and socially connected across generations for as long as possible. It does this by enabling businesses, including social enterprises, to develop and deliver beneficial products, services and business models.
By supporting our travel bursary, UKRI’s Healthy Ageing Challenge research and innovation can assist David in implementing plans to improve healthcare and care services for older people in Ghana.
We are very much looking forward to meeting David at the conference, and learning more about care and ageing services in Ghana.
UKRI’s Healthy Ageing Challenge is supporting our other activities at the Global Ageing Conference – find out about them here.
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