Out of Africa 2009

In 2009 we were honoured and privileged to hold our 2^nd conference in Sunyani, Ghana. To say we received a warm welcome in Ghana would be an understatement; from the very outset our welcome was warm and kind. The regional secretary of health welcomed us and invited us to his home, where we were entertained and made to feel very much at home. The theme was centred on serving rural communities and primary health care. Dr Emanuel Teye Adjase, the Dean of the Kintampo rural health college and champion of the PA analogue in Ghana led the meeting and we set out to start the definition of what the organisation stood for, and what governance would be wrapped around it, deciding on our first set of objectives and an organisational form.  We are also grateful for the involvement and presence of Dr Benjamin Aflakpui (Central University Ghana) who helped with this conference and has walked this journey with us.

The meeting was joined by not only PA students, but also nursing students from the Sunyani hospital (pictured below) nurse training school. The lively discussions were only surpassed by the drive to agree our plan for the next 5 years, and the structure for setting this out.

IAPAE was beginning to take shape and we are thankful for all of our colleagues from Ghana, who helped us on this journey. We were going to Bonnie Scotland.