Perspective

Background
“We have a big problem”, the Director said. “What is the problem?” we asked. “Dr Wurapa is gone!!!” Life paused for a moment…. In 2017, we had the great privilege of sitting at the feet of Dr Frederick Kwadzo Wurapa, hearing him tell the entire African Field Epidemiology Network  (AFENET) and Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme (GFELTP) story.  The detail and passion with which he narrated the story reflected that of a gallant soldier proudly telling of his accomplishments. When we were tasked to come up with write-ups for AFENET’s 20^th anniversary in 2025, Ghana FELTP was confident we could get stories from the founding fathers because we have always had the advantage of most of the founding fathers of AFENET being in our midst. From the men who proposed the name to those who called for the first meeting. This was therefore a golden chance to hear a founding father on how it all started and his reflections on AFENET’s 20-year journey. Dr. Wurapa was the first on our list, but life had its own path; before the story could be told, we lost our hero. Through this write-up, we describe the life of Dr Frederick Wurapa and the impact he made in public health in Africa.

“I would want to be remembered as a pioneering Public Health Physician, with the zeal of a missionary.” –  Dr Fredrick Kwadzo Wurapa¹

Early Life and Education
Born on September 28, 1934, at Akpafu Todzi, Volta Region, in Ghana, Dr Frederick Wurapa started his education in his home region in Ghana.  In 1964, he graduated from the State University of New York Upstate Medical Centre at the University of Buffalo and gained a Master’s in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health in 1967. He returned to Ghana because of his passion to serve his country and took up the position as a lecturer in the Department of Community Health of the University of Ghana Medical School in 1968. From there, we worked with the WHO till his retirement when he joined the University of Ghana School of Public Health where he played a key role in the establishment of the  Ghana field epidemiology and laboratory training programme (Ghana FELTP).

Professional Career and Service
As a lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School, he took up the position as the field coordinator of The Danfa Comprehensive Rural Health and Family Planning Project, a project in rural settlement in Northern Accra, was a collaboration between the then-Ghana Medical School, the Ministry of Health and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) [2,3].

In 1978, Dr Wurapa joined the World Health Organization (WHO) as an Epidemiologist at the Tropical Diseases Research Center in Ndola, Zambia, leading a team to research into tropical diseases for 8 years. With his team, they conducted intervention research into disease control issues related to malaria, schistosomiasis, helminthiasis and trypanosomiasis. Based on his proven capabilities, he was called to the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville in 1986 as regional adviser on parasitic diseases. As part of his roles, he coordinated the activities of WHO Tropical Diseases Research (TDR) in the African countries[4]. He served WHO in different portfolios till October 1997. Even after his retirement in 1998, in he continued to serve as WHO as an expert, providing masters and PhD students’ research supervision assistance to Research & Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) World Health Organization till June 2025  [5].

In 2005, officials from the US CDC and the School of Public Health without Walls, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation (Makerere University School of Public Health, University of Zimbabwe School of Public Health and University of Ghana School of Public Health) and Kenya Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Program met in Accra, Ghana to discuss the need for the African region to have a network that could promote competency-based public health training across the continent. Dr. Wurapa, the then Head of the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, University of Ghana School of Public Health, took part in this historic meeting, which led to the birth of the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET). Through his effort, Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (Ghana FELTP) was established in 2007. He served as the first Program Director of the Ghana FELTP and became the inaugural Board Chair of the AFENET.

Contributions to Public Health
The impact of Dr Wurapa started from his early life, as a field coordinator on the Danfa Comprehensive Rural Health and Family Planning Project. Dr Wurapa played a key role in training programs conducted, which led to the development and implementation for health workers and traditional birth attendants with a focus on basic midwifery and health education [3].

In the early 1980’s, Dr. Wurapa was a facilitator on the WHO AFRO short courses on Applied Epidemiology and Disease Control for English-speaking countries in Africa. He spent four months every year for about four years facilitating this course in Nairobi, Kenya. The great contributions Fred made to the success of the DANFA Project when he was at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital informed the successes of the fieldwork undertaken during the Nairobi course.

From 1996, he served as the Chairman of the five-member National Certification Committee (NCC), the Polio Eradication Initiative in Ghana, which conducted monitoring and advocacy visits to poor-performing regions, held quarterly meetings to review surveillance indicators and worked towards polio-free certification for Ghana. The efforts of his team led to the interruption of the transmission of the wild polio virus in Ghana in 2003, with the subsequent submission of documentation to the Africa Regional Certification Commission in 2007 for the recognition of Ghana’s polio-free status [5]. In October 2016, when he was honoured by the WHO Ghana Office for his exemplary work and contribution to polio eradication  in Ghana [5] and was also a founding member of WHO International Commission for the Certification of Eradication of Dracunculiasis.

Retirement in 1998, was Dr. Wurapa’s time to give back to his country and his own. He gladly accepted the invitation by Prof. Ofosu Armah of blessed memory to serve as Acting Director of the School of Public Health, University of Ghana from 2000 to 2003. There, he became the founding head  of the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management from 2003 to 2007 and the first Programme Director of the Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme from 2007 to 2013. In the School of Public Health, he taught and mentored countless health professionals who have risen through the ranks to key positions, in Ghana, Africa and on the international stage.

Retirement to Dr. Wurapa was a time to give back to his country and his own. He gladly accepted the invitation by Prof. Ofosu Armah of blessed memory to serve as Acting Director of the School of Public Health, University of Ghana from 2000 to 2003. There, he became the founding head  of the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management from 2003 to 2007 and the first Programme Director of the Ghana Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme from 2007 to 2013. In the School of Public Health, he taught and mentored countless health professionals who have risen through the ranks to key positions, in Ghana, Africa and on the international stage. He fully dedicated his final years to advising both the Ghana FELTP and AFENET and served as an Editorial Advisory Board member for the AFENET Journal of Interventional Epidemiology in Public Health (JIEPH). He was also an Advisory Board Member for the Ghana FELTP till his demise in June 2025.

Mentorship and capacity building
From the 1970’s and 80s, he proved to the public health fraternity the importance and impact of mentorship. His mentorship skills produced the national and international researchers who became the permanent staff of the Tropical Diseases Research Centre (TDRC) [4]. In the early 1980s, Dr Wurapa was a facilitator on the WHO AFRO short courses on Applied Epidemiology and Disease Control for English-speaking countries in Africa. He spent four months every year for about four years facilitating this course in Nairobi, Kenya. The great contributions Dr Wurapa made to the success of the DANFA Project when he was at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital informed the successes of the fieldwork undertaken during the Nairobi course.

Personal attributes and character
Fred was a calm gentleman, very learned, focused and always ready to share his knowledge with younger people who he came into contact. He was diligent with his work, consistent and committed to excellence. He had a passion for FETP activities and would always call the Director for current updates on program activities if he had not heard or seen any email from the secretariat in more than a month.

Legacy and lasting impact
His diligence and selfless dedication to duty were rewarded. In October 2016, he was honoured by the WHO Ghana Office for his exemplary work and contribution to polio eradication in Ghana [5]. He was also a founding member of the WHO International Commission for the Certification of Eradication of Dracunculiasis.

Dr. Wurapa is described in the book, Ghana Association of Former International Civil Servants (GAFICS), a series on celebrating outstanding Ghanaians Celebrating the nation’s undaunted heroes as “a patriot medical doctor with the zeal of a missionary. This description is a perfect summary of his over six decades of his contribution to public health in Africa [6]. Dr Wurapa was a major pillar of support and a wealth of knowledge to us (Ghana FELTP). Even when he was left out of communications to ensure he was not tasked too much, he frequently called for updates on the programme’s activities and what the latest achievements were. His selfless dedication, broadmindedness, attention to detail,  foresight and mentorship skills are but a few of his legacies that we would hold on to as we build on the foundations he has laid.

Closing reflection
As AFENET marks 20 years of existence, we bid farewell to a Great Hero. The life he lived inspires us as Public Health Professionals to chart a course of service to humanity. From his life, we are challenged to continue:

• Mentoring and providing technical support to the younger generation with the view to continuing the vision of a healthier Africa
• To build a competent public health workforce well-equipped to respond the emerging and re-emerging public health threats.
• Approach life with selfless dedication to duty
• Serve humanity with passion and zeal

The Ghana FELTP could not have asked God for anything better; 90 years of significant impact to public health in Ghana, Africa and the world at large ! in fulfilment of your wish  as a pioneering public health physician, with the zeal of a missionary.”

To a Hero who would fondly remain in our hearts and actions.  Dr. Frederick Kwadzo Wurapa, rest well from your labour on earth

Favourite quotes
Inspirational sayings (Leadership & Vision)

• “Epidemiology is not just numbers—it is the story of people’s lives, and our duty is to protect them.”
• “A good field epidemiologist must have sharp eyes, a curious mind, and above all, a compassionate heart.”
• “We do not chase diseases; we chase solutions.”
• “Training one epidemiologist is like planting a seed—soon you will have a forest of public health defenders.”

Africa & service-oriented sayings

• “Africa’s health challenges are great, but so is our resilience. We must rise to meet them.”
• “Public health is service, not status. If you seek prestige, you are in the wrong field.”
• “The laboratory is our weapon, but the community is our battlefield.”

Mentorship & teaching sayings

• “Knowledge is power, but shared knowledge is empowerment.”
• “Every outbreak is a classroom—learn from it, teach from it, and prepare for the next.”
• “Do not fear mistakes; fear failing to learn from them.”