A Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. David Teye Doku, has underscored the need for society to fix the key causes of health inequalities.
According to him, society had deliberately ignored non-medical factors that influence health outcomes of its populace.
Prof. Doku was speaking at his inaugural lecture on the topic, "The Causes of the Causes: Is Society the producer of its own health and ill-health?"
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong (L) congratulating Prof. David Teye Doku on his inaugural lecture
To him, society was scratching the surface of the root medical causes of the ill-health of its citizenry, stressing that “the real causes of causes are not what the physicians diagnose at clinics and hospitals."
He, however, pointed out that non-medical factors such as legislation, regulation, local and national policies, lack of potable water, lack of access to formal education, non-functional health insurance scheme, food and food security, among others, were the major contributing differences in the overall health of the citizenry in the society.
"The causes of the causes are in the community. They are both in health and non-health policies.
They are in the employment figures, illiteracy rate, slums, polluted drinking waters and school dropouts. They are even in the schools under trees," he posited.
Members of the College of Professors inducting Prof. David Teye Doku into the College
Prof. Doku further maintained that society had obligation for the public health of its citizens through the provision of social amenities.
He averred that health promotion strategies in the country were ineffective in reducing inequalities "because they fail to tackle the causes of the causes."
"Most of the public health interventions fail because they are individualistic," Prof. Doku stated.
Prof. Doku being congratulated by his wife and children
He, therefore, threw a challenge to members of society to hold politicians accountable for the collective good of society, including health.
The Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health indicated that members of society were rather obsessed with their selfish interests than the wider society.
He recommended health equity in all policies, equitable access to education, gender equity, social protection, access to healthcare, among others, to prevent inequalities in the society.
Who is Prof. David Teye Doku?
- Started basic education at Okwenya LA Primary School
- Attented Roman Catholic Basic School, Somanya, Eastern Region
- Had secondary education at Ghanata Secondary School,Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region
- Began his academic career in 2008 as a researcher at Tampere University in Finland
- Appointed as a lecturer at UCC in 2011
- Promoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer in 2013
- Adjudged Best Evolved Researcher in 2019
- Promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 2020
- Listed by AD World Scientist and University Ranking (Scientific Index) as the top 11th and 12th scholar in Ghana.
- Named by Research.com, a ranking firm, as the star researcher in Ghana in 2022
- Promoted to the rank of Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health in 2022
- Contributed to UCC's sterling ranking in the 2022 and the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Ranking as the topmost ranked University in Ghana, West Africa and 4th in Africa.
- Successfully produced 10 PhD graduates either as a principal supervisor or a co-supervisor.
- Appointed Director of the Directorate Research, Innovation and Consultancy at UCC in 2022
- Delivered inaugural lecture in 2023
- Currently an Elder of the Apostolic Church-Ghana and serves as a patron of the UCC branch of the Apostolic Church-Ghana, Students and Associates (APOSA-UCC).
- Married to Mrs. Laura Doku and blessed with two children.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC