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Sports and Exercise Medicine

Sport has a role to play in development and improving health. It is beneficial to physical activity and mental health and improves national public health. By fighting against sedentary lifestyles, physical activity also reduces the risk of chronic debilitating cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes etc., and the leading causes of death according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, except for sub- Saharan Africa, chronic diseases are now the leading causes of death in the world. The WHO cites four non-communicable diseases that make the largest contribution to mortality in low-and middle-income countries, namely: cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes. The health benefit of Sport and Physical activities can no longer be overemphasized. Research interest on physical activity and healthful living can be traced to the 1950s, it was until the 1980s and 1990s, that scientific pieces of evidence on the potency of Sports and Physical activities on sustainable health promotion were confirmed.

Engagement in programmed Physical activities has been isolated as a factor in the prevention of several chronic diseases and health status, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis.

All the aforementioned have no doubt the position of Sports and Exercise as Medicine and constitute the raison d’etre for the establishment of the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine in the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS).

The vision of the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine (SSEM) is to become a pre-eminent health research and practically oriented institution dedicated to providing timely and lasting Sport injury solutions to the Sports industry and promotion of Exercise as Medicine as well as prevention other health-related challenges in communities, internationally and Ghana in particular.

You are amiably welcome to the School of Sports and Exercise Medicine (SSEM). The mandate of SSEM is to provide higher education in Sport and Exercise Medicine through teaching and research to persons suitably qualified and capable of benefiting from such education. The School supports the mission of the University and is dedicated to community service. We seek to appreciate the vision of the University by taking modern approaches to research, teaching and engagement with society, informed by a culture of scholarship, academic and service of excellence.

As one of the university’s largest schools, we are distinguished for our high levels of student satisfaction in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Currently, the School (SSEM) run undergraduate programmes in Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences; Sports Psychology &Rehabilitation and Sports Nutrition.

The School has plans to run other undergraduate programmes in Sports Management. We also intend to run Postgraduate programmes (Certificate, Diploma, MPhil and PhD) in Sports Medicine, Sports Nutrition, Sports Venue Management, Coaching and Performance in the near future. The curricula of our programmes are relentlessly updated to meet the mutable needs of society and to provide everything you need to build a successful and satisfying career. Our graduates are always in high demand due to their highly valued skills and ethos.

SSEM is endowed with excellent and skilled academic and professional staff who deliver high-quality curricula and programmes and also offer support to students in the areas of research, professional practice placement and scholarship.

We are located in Ho, the capital of the Volta Region, which has a serene and conducive environment with beautiful, diverse culture and easily accessible from the national capital. Our School is uniquely situated about 1.8 to 2.5 km from the Ho Teaching Hospital, which provides our students with easy access to the hospital facility; patients, medical facilities and equipment, and endowed with multipurpose sports complex with other specialist health professionals to facilitate their learning and training.

I look forward to welcoming you to our school.

The School of Sports and Exercise Medicine (SSEM) will provide:

• World-class scholarly publications, train competent and committed Sport and Exercise Medical Scientist.

• Quality education, advance knowledge through scholarship and research that improves health and quality of life to Ghanaian Populace.

• Collaboration with external stakeholders and neighbouring communities to provide essential Sport Injuries solutions and serve Exercise as Medicine advocates for Sport industry development and advancement in technology.

SSEM being a school within UHAS, shares the same institutional aims as that of the University: They include;

• To provide higher education in Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences through teaching and research to persons suitably qualified and capable of benefiting from such education.

• To disseminate knowledge and the results of research and their applications to the needs and aspirations of the people of Ghana particularly in the Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences Profession but also in other related health Professions.

• To provide clinical and other skills services to contribute positively to improving the health status and overall quality of life and foster partnership with outside persons and bodies.

The core values of the School falls within that of the University which are;

The core values of the School falls within that of the University which are;

• Work with integrity and maintain an empowering environment based on mutual trust, respect and partnership among academic and non-academic staff, students and external units.

• Apply innovative educational approaches and technologies (including distance learning) to enhance access to programmes with a focus to train high calibre Sports and Exercise Medical professionals at all levels of education.

• Use modern information and communications technology and other educational tools to drive its programmes wherever possible.

• Seek through research and clinical service to be relevant to the health needs of Ghana and beyond; with future programmes relating to emerging challenges and trends in both the health and education sectors.

PHILOSOPHY

In line with the current trends in the fields of Sports, the School seeks to provide competitive and attractive programmes that are relevant to the Sports and Exercise Medicine delivery needs of the country. The Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences is therefore designed to produce BSEMS practitioners who can apply the science and art in the field and laboratory research settings.

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Prof. Nii Korley Kortei

Dean, School of Sports and Exercise Medicine

Prof. Nii Korley Kortei is an associate professor of Food Science and Nutrition. Past Head of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho. He is a Food Scientist and a Biotechnologist.

Education

He obtained a PhD in Radiation Processing (Food Science option) from University of Ghana (Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences), had a Master’s degree in Biotechnology (Food Biotechnology) and a BSc. (Hons). Agricultural Science, both from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Work Experience

Prior to his engagement with University of Health and Allied Sciences, Prof. Kortei worked at University of Ghana (Mycology Unit), Food Research Institute (Food Microbiology), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi and Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (Assistant Research Officer, Attachment)

Science/Research Output

Prof. Kortei’s research interests are in Food Safety (Food Mycology/Microbiology and Toxicology), Food Biotechnology and Radiation Processing (Food Irradiation). His research primarily focuses on Food Safety; the toxicological impacts of Food-borne Fungal contaminants, Mycotoxins and their Risk Assessments, and Heavy Metals contamination particularly in the context of Ghanaian staple foods and local consumption patterns. He has over Eighty (80) research publications in international peer review journals focusing on Food Safety. He has a book entitled: Growing oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) on composted agro wastes: An efficient way of utilizing lignocellulosic materials. Lambert Academic Publishers. Saarbrucken, Germany. He has twelve (12) published conference papers, and is a reviewer and a member of editorial boards for over 35 international peer review journals. He is the current president of Ghana Science Association (GSA-Ho branch), a member of Society of Toxicology (SOT, USA), African Society of Mycotoxicology, Ghana Association of Food Scientists and Technologists, Ghana Nuclear Society, African Palliative Society, etc.