Draft:Mary Eyram Ashinyo

Mary Eyram Ashinyo
Mary Ashinyo
Born	(1984-04-07)April 7, 1984
Citizenship	Ghanaian
Occupation	Medical Doctor
Years active	2018-Present
Organization	Ghana Health Service
Title	Deputy Director- Quality Assurance
Spouse	Mr Anthony Ashinyo
Children	2

Mary Eyram Ashinyo is a Ghanaian public health physician specializing in epidemiology, health policy planning, health systems management, and leadership. She obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Ghana. She also holds a Diploma in Advanced Study in Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries from the University of Basel’s Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.

Early Life and Education

Mary Eyram Ashinyo was born in Dzodze, Volta Region, Ghana. She attended 7 Garrison Primary and Junior High Schools before continuing her secondary education at Aburi Girls' Senior High School, where she studied General Science.

She obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and later earned a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Ghana. Additionally, she holds a Diploma in Advanced Study in Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries from the University of Basel’s Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.

Ashinyo has received specialized training in healthcare management and leadership, earning certificates from institutions such as Howard University, USA, the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Germany, and the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). She is also a Fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Career

After completing her education, Mary Eyram Ashinyo began her professional career in Ghana’s health system, where she has held various management roles for over 16 years. From 2011 to 2018, she served as the Medical Director at Ho Polyclinic, managing both clinical and administrative services while expanding the facility’s operations.

Since 2018, Ashinyo has been the Quality Management Lead and Deputy Director at the Institutional Care Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS). In this role, she oversees healthcare quality management across public healthcare facilities in Ghana and has led national initiatives, including:

• The National Infection Prevention and Control Program
• The National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Program
• The National Patient Safety Program
• Quality improvement programs for maternal and child health, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria

Involvements and Professional affiliations

Ashinyo has held consultancy and leadership positions in several international organizations. She has served as:

• General Secretary of the Ghana Public Health Association (2019–2023)
• West Africa Hub Representative for the Planetary Health Alliance, an initiative led by Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University
• Consultant for the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing to the Regional Patient Safety Strategy for Africa
• Global Lead Policy Analyst for Health at WaterAid UK, focusing on policy and advocacy related to WASH, antimicrobial resistance, and women’s health.

Academic Contributions

Since January 2022, Ashinyo has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She supervises doctoral research and contributes to postgraduate teaching

Leadership in Health Policy and Research

Mary Eyram Ashinyo has contributed to health policy, patient safety, quality improvement, and healthcare systems strengthening in Ghana.

Policy Development

• Developed the first Divisional Strategy for the Institutional Care Division, Ghana Health Service (GHS) (2018–2019).
• Led the first Ghana Health Service Guidelines for the National Healthcare Quality Strategy (2019).
• Developed Ghana’s first National Patient Safety Policy (2023).
• Contributed to the National Quality Policy of Ghana (2021) and the Ghana Standards Authority Bill (2022).
• Served on technical committees for the National WASH for IPC Strategy (2020) and National Occupational Health and Safety Policy (2021).

Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

• Leads the National Patient Safety Program (2018–present).
• Founded the National Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Conference (2019).
• Introduced SAFECARE Accreditation Standards in Ghana (2022–present).
• Led WHO-funded assessments of patient safety in Ghana (2021).
• Supported the WHO Quality of Care Network for maternal and child health (2018–present).
• Led the WHO-funded National Safe Burial Protocols harmonization program.

Water, Sanitation, and Infection Prevention

• Leads the National WASH/IPC in Healthcare Facilities Program (2019–present).
• Led WHO-funded WASH/IPC capacity building for the private sector (2022).
• Contributed to Ghana’s National Costed WASH/IPC Strategy as a Technical Working Group member.
• Led WHO-funded assessments of COVID-19 treatment centers using the WASH-FIT framework (2020–2021).
• Led USAID-funded projects on behavioral change communication for WASH in healthcare (2020–2021).
• Led WASH/IPC initiatives for World Vision’s neglected tropical diseases programs (2022–present).

Global Health and Collaborations

• Participated in WHO’s Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm (Geneva, 2018).
• Represented Ghana at the Africa Patient Safety Initiative High-Level Forum (Cape Town, 2019).
• Served as Technical Lead for the COVID-19 wastewater surveillance program by Emory University & Rockefeller Foundation (2020–2021).
• Led WHO and UNICEF-funded development of WASH/IPC monitoring frameworks for Ghana’s Health Information System (DHIMS) (2021–2022).

Honours and Awards

• Ashinyo has received several fellowships and recognitions, including:
• Mandela Washington Fellowship (2015) – Awarded by President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of State
• Young Physician Leaders Fellowship (2016) – The World Academy of Science and Inter Academy Partnership
• Women Leaders in Global Health Fellowship (2017) – Stanford University Centre for Global Health Innovations
• Health Policy Analysis Fellowship (2020) – World Health Organization Alliance for Health Policy Analysis
• Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Fellowship (2022) – African Union and Africa CDC
• National Health Excellency Award (2022) – BBN and DMAC Foundation

Personal life

Mary Eyram Ashinyo is married to Dr. Ashinyo and has two children.

Research and Grants

Ashinyo has secured multiple research grants to support health systems strengthening and policy reforms in Ghana. These include:

1. Co-Principal Investigator, Grand Challenges Canada: Addressing the Third Delay: Scaling Up an Obstetric Triage System to Reduce Delay and Improve the Quality of Care in High-Volume Hospitals in Ghana (March 2023 – August 2025). Grant Amount: CAD 1,250,298.
2. Co-Investigator, Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research: Digital Health Information Management in Healthcare Systems Strengthening in Ghana. Grant Amount: $70,000.
3. Co-Investigator, UK Medical Research Council: Improving Health Systems Responsiveness to Health Needs of Vulnerable Groups in Ghana and Vietnam. Grant Amount: $2,200,000.
4. Principal Investigator, Alliance for Health Policy: Power, Agenda Setting, and Policy Formulation Processes in Health Systems Governance Reforms in Ghana (January 2020 – December 2022). Grant Amount: $20,000.

Publications

Ashinyo has contributed to various peer-reviewed articles and research studies focusing on public health, patient safety, infection prevention, and healthcare quality. Selected publications include:

2024

1. Gyi Gyimah L, Agyepong IA, Owiredu D, Awini E, Yevoo LL, Ashinyo ME, et al. Tools for screening maternal mental health conditions in primary care settings in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review. Front. Public Health. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1321689
2. Tawiah PA, Appiah-Brempong E, Okyere P, Ashinyo ME. Splash of body fluids among healthcare support staff in Ghana: a cross-sectional study. SAGE Open Medicine. DOI: 10.1177/20503121241234473
3. Tawiah PA, Appiah-Brempong E, Okyere P, Ashinyo ME. Prevalence, risk factors and psychological consequences of workplace violence among health workers in the Greater Accra region, Ghana: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17962-8
4. Dubik SD, Amegah KE, Owusu-Asare AA, et al. Multimodal strategies for hand hygiene in Ghanaian hospitals: a cross-sectional study in the Eastern Region of Ghana. BMJ Public Health. DOI: e000606
5. Dubik SD, Amegah KE, Kwakye AT, Ashinyo ME. Examining factors driving inequities in water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management services in healthcare facilities in Ghana. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. DOI: 10.2166/washdev.2024.118

2023

1. Mills JE, Thomas A, Abdalla N, et al. How can global guidelines support sustainable hygiene systems? BMJ Global Health. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013632
2. Ashinyo ME, Duti V, Dubik SD, Amegah KE, et al. Experiences of postnatal mothers with quality of care including water, sanitation, and hygiene amenities during the COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana: An institutional cross-sectional study. Public Health in Practice. DOI: 10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100361
3. Awini E, Agyepong IA, Owiredu D, et al. Burden of mental health problems among pregnant and postpartum women in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. BMJ Open. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-069545

2022

1. Ashinyo ME, Amegah KE, Kariyo P, et al. Status of patient safety in selected Ghanaian hospitals: a national cross-sectional study. BMJ Open Quality. DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2022-001938
2. Tawiah PA, Baffour-Awuah A, Effa ES, et al. Occupational health hazards among healthcare providers and ancillary staff in Ghana: a scoping review. BMJ Open. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064499

2021

1. Ashinyo ME, Dubik SD, Duti V, Amegah KE, et al. Infection prevention and control compliance among exposed healthcare workers in COVID-19 treatment centers in Ghana: A descriptive cross-sectional study. PLOS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248282
2. Ashinyo ME, Dubik SD, Duti V, et al. Healthcare Workers Exposure Risk Assessment: A Survey among Frontline Workers in Designated COVID-19 Treatment Centers in Ghana. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. DOI: 10.1177/2150132720969483

2020

1. Ashinyo ME, et al. Ghana beyond the epi-curve: Initial lessons learned from the implementation of infection prevention and control measures in the COVID-19 response. Pan African Medical Journal. DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2021.38.18.26832
2. Ashinyo ME, et al. Clinical characteristics, treatment regimen, and duration of hospitalization among COVID-19 patients in Ghana: A retrospective cohort study. Pan African Medical Journal. DOI: 10.11604/pamj.supp.2020.37.1.25718
3. Adofo E, Dun-Dery EJ, Kotoh AM, et al. Fear of infertility limits contraceptive usage among first-time mothers in Ghana: A cross-sectional study. SAGE Open Medicine. DOI: 10.1177/20503121211021256