Brief History

The Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences is one of the six constituent departments under the School of Public Health. The Department has one major goal supported by seven minor goals which together spell out the mission of the department. This goal is;

to equip trainees with knowledge and skills in the social sciences to enable them perform/function effectively as Public Health Practitioners sensitive to the prevailing socio-cultural contexts at the district, regional, national, and international levels.

The major goal has been broken down into the following objectives:

• To equip trainees to understand and appreciate the importance of the socio-cultural and structural factors which affect health development
• To help trainees understand the key concepts, theories, principles, and methods in the social sciences
• To help trainees apply the concepts, theories, principles, and methods in the social sciences to health and development research and programmes
• To help trainees acquire the knowledge and skills to enable them identify and prioritise Public Health and Development problems that will require social science inputs in their solutions
• To equip trainees to understand and appreciate the sociological basis of Public Health and Developmental issues
• To equip trainees to appreciate and understand group dynamics, teambuilding, and teamwork in matters relating to Public Health
• To enable trainees develop strategies and action plans to address identified Public Health and developmental problems
• To equip trainees to effectively and efficiently manage integrated interventions relating to Public Health and Development
• To develop in trainees the need for ethical values and consideration in matters relating to Public Health and Development
• Explore the feasibility and market demands for additional programmes/courses on emerging socio-cultural/lifestyle issues that impact on Health

This mission is achieved through research to identify the social and behavioural determinants of health, development and evaluation of interventions and policies leading to the improvement of population health, and the preparation of professionals and researchers who will fill leadership positions in advocacy and public service.

Heads of Units under the Departments 

• Gender and Health                         -    Dr. Phyllis Dako-Gyeke
• Health Promotion                           -    Mr. Emmanuel Asampong
• Applied Health Social Science        -    Dr. Philip Baba Adongo
• Implementation Research               -    Dr. Margaret Gyapong

Research

The department has the following areas of interest for research

• Health systems research
• Health intervention and implementation research
• HIV and AIDS
• Socio-cultural and behavioural aspects of endemic tropical diseases
• Maternal, child and reproductive health issues