SIA-Africa Persons of the Month for April 2020 are Drs. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings. We also honor SIA-Africa Volunteer Medical & Science Professionals.
This month, SIA-Africa is honoring several extraordinary individuals as Persons of the Month for their dedication and heroism in the medical and science fields amid the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
Two of our special honorees are Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh. We would also like to honor the doctors and health professionals working to mitigate the effects of the outbreak, including from within our organization: Dr. Alexes Hazen, Dr. Philip Lamptey, Maj. Dr. Emmanuel Yobanya, Dr. Doris Appiah and Dr. Dominique Carter.
We thank them all for their hard work and dedication to improving the lives of others every day and for their particularly hard work during this challenging time.
Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh is the Minister of Education for the Republic of Ghana and the member of Parliament for the Manhyia South Constituency in the Ashanti Region. As a member of Parliament, Opoku Prempeh has served on various committees making progress on issues of Health, Special Budget, Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.
Raised in the Ashanti region, Opoku Prempeh graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a degree in Human Biology and Medicine. He received a master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the Netherlands Institute of Health Sciences, and a Leadership and Government degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, Opoku Prempeh presented medical essentials to the Manhyia Government Hospital, including hundreds of face masks and thousands of pairs of gloves and hand sanitizers. These items help support frontline health workers at the hospital to diminish the extreme difficulties they are facing at this trying time.
He is also a leading speaker on global education and spoke at the Devex Global Education and Skills Forum on plans for funding education and creating better access to secondary education in Ghana and beyond.
Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, member of Parliament in Klottey Korle, has also led various relief efforts to benefit those in need. She ran for Parliament because of strong beliefs in environmental activism, and frequently contributes to those affected by natural disasters, especially within Ghana.
She spoke at the Crans Montana Forum in Brussels on Homeland & Global Security Issues that affect women, children and societies across Africa.
Raised in Accra, Agyeman-Rawlings graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland with her first medical degree. In addition, she has certificates in defense, conflict and crisis management from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College.
Agyeman-Rawlings consistently puts forward an ethical leadership role, strong moral code and dedication to philanthropy. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, she used social intervention measures to minimize the risk of the coronavirus affecting her constituents, and donated to the Adabraka Polyclinic, Osu Maternity Clinic and the Tema Station Clinic to help reduce the transmission of the virus.
For their dedication to helping others in need in Africa at all times, and for their particular courage and commitment in this especially trying time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sustainable Initiatives and Alliances for Africa honors both Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings with their Persons of the Month award for April 2020.
