Ghana’s Prof. Alexander Debrah wins €50K EDCTP Dr. Pascoal Mocumbi Prize for global health contributions

Ghanaian scientist Alexander Yaw Debrah has been awarded the 2025 Dr. Pascoal Mocumbi Prize by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) for his contributions to global health research and capacity development in Africa.

The €50,000 prize was presented today 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.

“Professor Debrah’s commitment to global health and research capacity building is exemplary,” said Marcel Tanner, EDCTP High Representative and President of the Swiss Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Debrah has attracted over €15 million in research funding from organisations including the EDCTP, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the German Ministry of Education and Research. He has also helped establish the German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention (G-WAC) at KNUST.

With over 160 peer-reviewed publications, Debrah has spoken at several high-level forums, including the United Nations General Assembly Science Summits in 2023 and 2024.

The EDCTP prize, named after Mozambique’s former prime minister and the partnership’s first high representative, honours individuals who have advanced Africa-Europe health research collaboration and the fight against poverty-related diseases.

The EDCTP is a partnership between European and African countries, supported by the European Union.