16.06.2025
Prof. Alexander Debrah receives the Prestigious EDCTP Dr. Pascoal Mocumbi Prize award 2025
Photo © EDTCP
TAKeOFF Coordinator Prof. Alexander Yaw Debrah, a Professor of Parasitology and Global Health at KNUST, receives the Prestigious EDCTP Dr. Pascoal Mocumbi Prize award 2025 for his contributions to global health research and capacity development in Africa.
The €50,000 prize was presented on the 15th of June 2025 at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda. The award recognises Prof. Debrah’s work in combating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and advancing clinical research and partnerships across Africa and Europe.
Debrah, a professor of parasitology and global health at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, has led several clinical trials focused on diseases such as lymphatic filariasis and river blindness. His early research helped identify genetic links to conditions such as elephantiasis and hydrocele, and supported the use of low-cost antibiotics like doxycycline for treatment.
He currently serves as Dean of the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences at KNUST and heads the Filariasis Research Group at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR). He also directs TAKeOFF, a German-funded consortium working to eliminate filarial infections in Ghana, Tanzania, and Cameroon.
