The KCCR is an internationally renowned centre for infectious disease research in Kumasi, Ghana. It generates critical insights into diseases such as malaria, viral and bacterial infections, sepsis, filariasis, antimicrobial resistance, neglected tropical diseases, and many others – conditions that affect millions of people worldwide. KCCR researchers combine cutting-edge laboratory analytics with clinical research and field studies, collaborating closely with hospitals and health facilities across various regions. The centre is also embedded in a dense network of international partnerships, linking universities, research institutions, and health organisations.

Professor Debrah has been with the KCCR since its early days. He established his own research group there and helped shape the centre’s scientific development over many years. Additionally, he is closely involved in teaching and supervising students at KNUST. His research focuses on parasitic worm diseases, particularly river blindness. For his contributions to global health, he has been recognised with awards such as the EDCTP Dr Pascoal Mocumbi Prize. In a competitive selection process, he impressed the Advisory Board with, amongst other things, his vision of applied health research that directly benefits patients, his strong ties to KNUST, and his commitment to fostering the next generation of scientists.

Under the leadership of his predecessor, Professor Phillips, the KCCR has grown significantly over the past decade. Staff numbers doubled from 179 to 368, new research buildings were constructed, additional state-of-the-art laboratories were established, and the infrastructure for clinical studies was expanded. Postgraduate training expanded considerably, with Master’s graduates increasing from 40 to 116 and PhD graduates from 20 to 50 over the period. Several KCCR scientists attained senior academic promotions and leadership appointments nationally and internationally. The number of secured research projects also doubled, rising from 35 in 2017 to 72 in 2026. Annual publications saw an even sharper increase, climbing from 44 to 113. The Centre received several major recognitions, including the Presidential Award for Distinguished Service for its role in Ghana’s COVID-19 response.

Above all, the demands on the scientific director have become more complex. The role now involves steering the centre’s scientific strategy, linking research with healthcare delivery, and representing the KCCR both nationally and internationally in a politically sensitive environment where the centre’s significance has grown markedly.

“The strength of the KCCR lies in its combination of excellent science, long-term partnerships, and close integration with Ghana’s health system,” says Professor Jürgen May, Chair of the BNITM Board. “We would like to express our sincere thanks to Professor Richard Odame Phillips for his outstanding service to the KCCR. His tenure has spanned, amongst other things, the COVID-19 pandemic, the centre’s 25th anniversary and a period of substantial growth—all of which he managed with great care, steering the institute safely through these times. Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah has been part of this journey as a scientist and research group leader. He brings scientific excellence and deep roots in the institution.”

Professor Alexander Yaw Debrah states: “My goal is to further strengthen the KCCR as an innovation-driven centre that translates scientific knowledge into tangible solutions for health challenges. To achieve this, I will focus on strong partnerships, reliable structures, and an environment where talent can thrive. Supporting early-career researchers and ensuring good working conditions are key to building expertise, retaining skilled professionals, and securing research at the site. In this way, we can contribute to strengthening health systems and reducing the disease burden for affected populations in the long term.”

Looking ahead, the KCCR will seek to deepen existing collaborations and strategically develop the institute amid increasingly challenging funding conditions. Cuts to major international programmes have intensified competition for resources, making reliable partnerships all the more critical. At the same time, the unequal distribution of resources in global research remains a persistent challenge.

The KCCR is a joint venture between KNUST, Ghana’s Ministry of Health, and the BNITM. It is based on a state treaty signed with the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg in 1997. The BNITM provides core funding and maintains several joint research groups on site. It also contributes to the centre’s strategic direction through its advisory board. Key infrastructure, including buildings and laboratories, was developed with support from the Volkswagen Foundation, the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, and the Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP). KCCR received research support from at least 50 funding bodies in the last decade.

About the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)

The BNITM is Germany’s largest institution for research, healthcare and teaching in the field of tropical and emerging infectious diseases. Current research priorities include malaria, haemorrhagic fever viruses, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), immunology, epidemiology, implementation, and the clinical aspects of tropical infections, as well as the mechanisms of virus transmission by mosquitoes. For handling highly pathogenic viruses and infected insects, the Institute has laboratories of the highest biosafety level (BSL-4) and a biosafety insectarium (BSL-3). In numerous countries of the Global South, the BNITM supports the development of (mobile) laboratory capacities.