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Prof. Amos Laar

Prof. Amos Laar
alaar@ug.edu.gh

Academic degrees

  • MA. in Bioethics. University of Minnesota, Minnesota, USA   
  • Ph.D. School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
  • MPH. School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
  • BSc. in Nutrition & Biochemistry, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

 

Profile:

Amos Laar is a Professor of Public Health Nutrition in the Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health. Upon receiving academic training in Nutrition, Public Health, and Bioethics, he spent the decade spanning 2005 and 2015 exploring how the “socio-cultural, socio-ethical, and medico-ethical dimensions of public health” could be leveraged to promote the health of women living with HIV. From this work, the book, “Social Public Health” originates. Currently, his research and professional practice focus on two distinct, yet related areas of public health:  leveraging bioethics (particularly food ethics, public health ethics, health and human rights); and public health nutrition (food systems, food environments, and their nexus with nutrition-related non-communicable diseases) for global public health.

Professor Laar is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the IDRC-funded ‘MEALS4NCDs project’, which is providing Measurements, Evaluation, Accountability and Leadership Support for NCDs prevention in Ghana. He is the PI of the IDRC/Rockefeller Foundation-funded ‘Healthier Diets 4 Healthy Lives (HD4HL) Project’, which aims develop, validate and build consensus for a fit-for-local-purpose nutrient profiling model that allows for implementation of food-based policies.  He is also the PI of the– Advocating for Health (A4H) Project, which aims to create a favorable environment and stakeholder buy-in for food-related fiscal policies in Ghana.  With funding from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Prof. Laar is co-leading a project that is building sustainable bioethics capacity in Ghana. This project facilitated the establishment of MSc Programme in Bioethics at the University of Ghana School of Public Health – the first ever bioethics programme in Ghana.   

Prof. Laar has published theoretically-driven, methodologically varied, and policy-relevant papers spanning health and human rights, pandemic ethics, food systems, food environments, and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). He has received local and international recognition – serving as Ghana’s Representative at international meetings, Invited Speaker or Keynote Speaker on numerous occasions. He was an invited participant of the 66th Session of the UN-General Assembly Meeting in New York, 2011. In 2019, he was recognized in the Lancet, for their efforts at combating nutrition-related NCDs in Ghana: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(19)30216-5/fulltext  Prof. Laar is a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

 

Courses currently being taught

  • GSPH 302: Infant and Young Child Feeding  
  • GSPH 453: Diet and Diseases  
  • BIOE 618: Food and Nutrition Ethics
  • BIOE 601: Foundations of Bioethics  
  • BIOE 603: Research Ethics
  • BIOE 604: Teaching and Writing Methods in Bioethics
  • PFRH 674: Public Health Approaches to HIV and AIDS 

 

Active /recently completed research grants

  • IDRC/Rockefeller Foundation (Grant #109864; PI, Laar) 02/1/202201/31/2025. Developing evidence and action toward a double-duty food-based policy bundle to assure healthier diets in Ghana. CAD1,223,802.13 Role: PI
  • TFK/GHAI, USA (Grant # GHANA-IOA-13; PI, Laar) 02/1/2022-07/31/2023. Creating a favorable environment and stakeholder buy-in for food-related fiscal policies in Ghana. USD301,290.00 Role: PI
  • IDRC, Canada (Grant #108983; PI, Laar) 03/1/2019-02/28/2022. Measuring the healthiness of Ghanaian children’s food environments to prevent obesity and non-communicable diseases. CAD521,336.00 Role: PI
  • NIH R25 TW010886 (MPI Caplan/Ogedegbe/Laar) 4/2018-3/2023. New York University-University of Ghana Research Integrity Training Program. ~USD1.2M Role: Co-PI
  • GCRF (Grant # MR/P025153/1); (PI, Holdsworth); 04/2017-03/2019. Dietary transitions in African cities: leveraging evidence for interventions and policy to prevent diet-related NCDs in Africa.  Grant value: GBP597,850.00; Role: Co-I and Ghana-Lead
  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/UKAID (Grant # OPP1110043; PI, Holdsworth) 01/2017-10/2018; Dietary transitions in Ghanaian cities:  Grant value: USD299,997.00; Role: Co-PI and Ghana-Lead

 

Research & scholarly works

Currently, Dr. Laar’s scholarly works include over 90 scientific publications (books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles). He also participates actively in scientific conferences. Some of his recently publications are:  

  • Laar A.K (2022) Balancing the Socio-political and Medico-ethical Dimensions of HIV: A Social Public Health Approach. Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09191-9
  • LaarA.K., Addo, P., Aryeetey, R., Agyemang, C., Zotor, F., Asiki, G., Rampalli, K.K., Amevinya, G.S., Tandoh, A., Nanema, S. and Adjei, A.P., et al (2022).Food Environment Research Priorities for Africa: Lessons from the Africa Food 
  • Environment Research Network. Advances in Nutrition; https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac019
  • Laar, A., Kelly, B., Holdsworth, M., Quarpong,W., Aryeetey, R., Amevinya, G. S., Tandoh, A., Agyemang, C., Zotor, F., et al 2021. Providing Measurement, Evaluation, Accountability, and Leadership Support (MEALS) for 
  • Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention in Ghana:Project Implementation Protocol. 

Frontiers in Nutrition, 8,Availableat https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.644320    

  • Laar, A. (2021). The role of food environment policies in making unhealthy foods unattractive and healthy foods available in Africa. EClinicalMedicine 
  • Published by the Lancet. 2021May 23;36:100908. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100908 Available at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(21)00188-7/fulltext
  • Osei-Kwasi, H., Laar, A., Zotor, F. Pradeilles, R. Aryeetey, R. Green, M. Griffiths, P. Akparibo, R. Milka, N.W. Rousham, E. Barnes, A. Booth, A. Mensah, K. Asiki, G. Kimani-Murage, E. Bricas, N. Holdsworth, M. (2021)
  • The African Urban Food Environment Framework for creating healthy nutrition policy and interventions in urban Africa. PLoS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203 Available at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0249621
  • Booth, A., Barnes, A., Laar, A., Akparibo, R., Graham, F., Bash, K., Asiki, G. and Holdsworth, M., (2021). Policy action within urban African food systems to promote healthy food consumption: a realist synthesis in Ghana
  • and Kenya. International Journal of Health Policy and Management. Available at https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4011.html
  • Laar, A., Barnes, A., Aryeetey, R., Tandoh, A., Bash, K., Mensah, K., ... & Holdsworth, M. (2020). Implementation of healthy food environment policies to prevent nutrition-related 
  • non-communicable diseases in in Ghana: National experts’ assessment of government action. Food Policy, 101907.Available at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919220301111