Prof. Emmanuel Otopa Danquah Addo-Yobo MB ChB, DTCH, MSc, MWAC, MD, FGCP

Professor Emmanuel Addo-Yobo is a Professor of Child Health at the School of Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and Honorary Consultant Paediatrician in the Child Health Directorate, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana.

He holds an MB ChB degree from the School of Medical Sciences( SMS) -KNUST, a Diploma in Tropical Child Health (University of Liverpool), a Master of Sciences (MCH – University of London), Membership of the West African College of Physicians, Doctor of Medicine (MD - University of Manchester), and is a Foundation Fellow and Examiner of the Faculty of Child Health and Paediatrics - Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.

He is a Paediatrician, clinical lecturer, researcher, and administrator with primary clinical interests in Paediatric pulmonology, Immunization practice, and child survival issues. His experience in child health care in Ghana spans over 25 years. He is the Head of the Paediatric Asthma and Pulmonology Unit at KATH, which he pioneered in 1992 as one of the very few of its kind in the sub-region at the time. Out of this came several research studies and publications on asthma epidemiology in Ghana in collaboration with the North West Lung Centre, Manchester, and the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) United Kingdom. He has also been involved in USAID and WHO-sponsored multi-centre collaborative research on treatment options for childhood pneumonia and common young infant infections in developing countries.

Prof Addo-Yobo has also made contributions to local and WHO regional manuals for the care of young children, especially in the area of respiratory disorders. He has worked in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ghana, and WHO, on many national committees on child health and development such as School Health Policy Review, Job Aids for New-born Care, Integrated Management of Childhood and Neonatal Illness (IMCNI), and Under-5 Child Health Policy for Ghana.

He has been involved in vaccine-preventable disease surveillance activities and in developing Pre-service curricula for the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) for Medical and Nursing /Midwifery Training institutions in the African Region, as well as its introduction and evaluation activities. He has assisted Ministries of Health in countries and key partner agencies to conduct Training Needs Assessments for EPI staff.

He served as the Head of Child Health, KATH, and SMS-KNUST cumulatively for 12 years during which he led the establishment and capacity building for 11 paediatric subspecialties (including paediatric emergency and intensive care) at KATH. He was also the Head of the Quality Assurance (and Patient Safety), KATH, for 6 years (2012-2018) during which he was involved in monitoring and developing policies and guidelines for safe clinical performance.

He serves on several national and international committees including the National Poliomyelitis Expert Committee and the Medical and Chemical Technical Options Committee (MCTOC) of the United Nations Environmental Programme, GAVI Independent Advisory Board. He has co-facilitated Regional Vaccinology Courses for the African Region under the auspices of the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region (AFRO).

As Professor of Child Health and Honorary Consultant Paediatrician, he is currently the Country's Principal Investigator for two multi-centre international studies on improving asthma outcomes in children and adolescents namely, the Lung Health for Life Course (LuLi), and Achieving Control for Asthma in Children in Africa (ACACIA) Studies which are collaborations with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the UK and the Queen Mary University of London, UK., respectively.

He currently Heads the Department of Child Health, School of Medical Sciences – KNUST, and KATH. He is also the Head of Quality Assurance and patient safety at KATH. He is a member of the Medical and Chemicals Technical Options Committee (MCTOC) of the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) under the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer.

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