Prof. Abraham Kwabena Anang


An IESS Faculty Member

Associate Professor of Parasitology 

Professor Abraham Kwabena Anang is a faculty member at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS), University of Ghana, and a former Director of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR). He holds a PhD in Animal Science (Parasitology) from the University of Ghana and has over three decades of leadership in public health research, biosafety governance, and environmental systems strengthening across Africa. 

His multidisciplinary work bridges biomedical science, environmental sustainability, and community development. He pioneered the Community Directed Development Foundation (CDDF) model, integrating health, environment, and other sectors with local governance for sustainable transformation. 

Prof. Anang has served on the WHO Task Force on African Trypanosomiasis, chaired Ghana’s National Biosafety Committee, and currently chairs the CSIR–Animal Research Institute Board. He also served as President of the Ghana Red Cross Society (2009–2013), promoting humanitarian and public health initiatives nationwide. 

In recognition of his outstanding service and contributions to international cooperation, he received Japan’s national decoration, The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette—an honour awarded to individuals who have rendered distinguished service to the public and advanced relations between Japan and its partners. 

At IESS, he teaches and supervises graduate research in Water, Environmental Sanitation and Public Health, Global Trends and Perspectives in Environmental Sanitation, and Contemporary Approaches to Environmental Sanitation Management. His teaching bridges research, policy, and practice to equip professionals with the skills to address complex environmental and public health challenges. 

Prof. Anang remains a strong advocate for One Health and One Environment approaches and continues to promote multidisciplinary collaboration for environmental resilience, sustainable ecosystems, and public health advancement in Ghana and across Africa. 

Research Areas

  • Environmental health and sanitation systems: advancing sustainable sanitation models, integrated waste management, and environmental monitoring for improved public health outcomes.
  • One Health and zoonotic disease control: investigating human–animal–environment interactions to prevent, diagnose, and eliminate zoonotic and neglected tropical diseases through integrated surveillance and community participation.
  • Community-Directed Development Transformation (CDDT): developing participatory frameworks that link environmental management, public health, and local governance for sustainable socio-economic transformation.
  • Environmental biosafety and biosecurity: strengthening national and institutional capacity for safe biotechnology use, biosafety policy implementation, and preparedness for biological threats.
  • Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in public health: assessing water quality, sanitation infrastructure, and behavioural practices to inform evidence-based policies for health and environmental sustainability.
  • Climate change, ecosystem health, and community resilience: examining the impacts of environmental change on disease patterns, livelihoods, and local adaptation strategies, particularly in vulnerable and coastal areas.
  • Mycoremediation and environmental recovery using mushrooms: studying the potential of edible and medicinal mushrooms for bioremediation of heavy metals, soil regeneration, waste transformation, and restoration of degraded mining and agricultural landscapes, linking scientific innovation to community livelihoods and environmental health. 

Recent Publications

  1. Adotey, G., Alolga, R. N., Quarcoo, A., Gedel, M. A., Yerenkyi, P., Otu, P., Anang, A. K., Okine, L. K. N., Gbewonyo, W. S. K., Holliday, J. C., & Lombardi, V. C. (2025). Cytotoxic activity of Ganoderma weberianum-sichuanese isolated from the Lower Volta River Basin of Ghana against human prostate carcinoma (PC-3), leukemic T cell (Jurkat), and plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC)-derived acute leukemia (PMDC05) cell lines. *PLOS ONE, 20*(7), e0327087. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327087
  2. Kaba, M., Hailemichael, Y., Alemu, A. Y., Cherkose, T., Kebebew, G., ... & Anang, A. K. (2025). Understanding experiences of neglected tropical diseases of the skin: A mixed-methods study to inform intervention development in Ethiopia. *BMJ Global Health, 10*(2), e016650. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2024-016650
  3. Tagoe, J. N. A., Yeboah, C., Behene, E., Kumordjie, S., Nimo-Paintsil, S., Attram, N., Nyarko, E. O., Carroll, J. A., Fox, A. T., Watters, C. M., Koram, K., Anang, A. K., Sanders, T., & Letizia, A. G. (2023). Coinfection of malaria and bacterial pathogens among acute febrile patients in selected clinics in Ghana. *American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 109*(5), 1036–1046. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.23-0398
  4. Noora, C. L., Coleman, M., Anang, A. K., & Kenu, E. K. (2023). Outbreak of SARS-CoV2 in a tertiary institution, Ghana, March 2020: Lessons learnt through early contact tracing. *Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health, 6*(Suppl. 3). https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph.supp.2023.6.3.06.11
  5. Afum, T., Asandem, D. A., Asare, P., Asante-Poku, A., Mensah, G. I., Musah, A. B., Opare, D., Taniguchi, K., Guinko, N. M., Aphour, T., Arhin, D., Ishikawa, K., Matano, T., Mizutani, T., Asiedu-Bekoe, F., Kiyono, H., Anang, A. K., Koram, K. A., & Yeboah-Manu, D. (2022). Diarrhea-causing bacteria and their antibiotic resistance patterns among diarrhea patients from Ghana. *Frontiers in Microbiology, 13*, 894319. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.894319
  6. Soniran, O. T., Abuaku, B., Anang, A., Opoku-Afriyie, P., & Ahorlu, C. (2021). Factors impacting test-based management of suspected malaria among caregivers of febrile children and private medicine retailers in rural communities of Fanteakwa North District, Ghana. *BMC Public Health, 21*, 1899. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11960-w
  7. Tornyigah, B., Coppée, R., Houzé, P., Kusi, K. A., Adu, B., Quakyi, I., Coleman, N., Mama, A., Deloron, P., Anang, A. K., Clain, J., Tahar, R., Ofori, M. F., & Ndam, N. T. (2020). Effect of drug pressure on promoting the emergence of antimalarial-resistant parasites among pregnant women in Ghana. *Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 64*(6), e02029-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.02029-19
  8. Anyan, W. K., Pulkkila, B. R., Dyra, C. E., Price, M., Naples, J. M., Quartey, J. K., Anang, A. K., & Lodh, N. (2020). Assessment of dual schistosome infection prevalence from urine in an endemic community of Ghana by molecular diagnostic approach. *Parasite Epidemiology and Control, 9*, e00130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2019.e00130
  9. Birjandi, M. M., Oroei, M., Emadi, S. N., Peyvandi, A. A., & Anang, A. K. (2019). Scabies among high school students in Accra, Ghana: Risk factors and health literacy. *Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 21*(8), e92510. https://doi.org/10.5812/ircmj.92510
  10. Osei, E., Kwain, S., Mawuli, G. T., Anang, A. K., Owusu, K. B.-A., Camas, M., Camas, A. S., Ohashi, M., Alexandru-Crivac, C.-N., Deng, H., Jaspars, M., & Kyeremeh, K. (2018). Paenidigyamycin A, potent antiparasitic imidazole alkaloid from the Ghanaian Paenibacillus sp. DE2SH. *Marine Drugs, 17*(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/md17010014 

Teaching Programmes

  • Water, Environmental Sanitation and Public Health (ESSS 601) MPHIL 

  • Global Trends and Perspectives of Environmental Sanitation (ESSS 611) MPHIL 

  • Contemporary Approaches to Environmental Sanitation Management (ESSS 608) MPHIL;  

  • Environmental and Public Health, PHD. 

Recent Research Projects

  • Harnessing Mushrooms to Clean Contaminated Soils, Recover Gold, and Produce Food
  • The Green Gold Ghana Initiative seeks to tackle the pressing challenge of soil contamination caused by galamsey (illegal mining) activities in Ghana. The project aims to develop and apply innovative mushroom-based biotechnological solutions to remediate heavy metal–polluted soils, recover residual gold, and produce safe, nutritious food for communities affected by mining-related degradation.
  • A collaborative effort between Accra Technical University, the University of Ghana (Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies – IESS), and Mushroom Consulting LLC (USA), the initiative combines scientific innovation with sustainable development. The project is seeking funding in 2025 to advance research, pilot implementation, and community-based environmental recovery. 

Selected Students Supervision

  • Victor Kwasi Dumahasi (PhD, 2023/2024) Bacterial Contamination in the Value Chain of Fresh Vegetables in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana:Tthe Comparative Effectiveness of Washing Strategies (Principal Supervisor)
  • Austin D. Amoako (PhD, 2023/2024) Evaluating Water Access, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Intervention Programs in Three Districts in the Volta Region of Ghana (Principal Supervisor)
  • Dina Afua Kobe Oppong (PhD, 2023/2024) ) Climate Change Impacts on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Informal Settlements in Ghana (Co-Supervisor)
  • Rosemary Awulama Exornam Gbadzida (Mphil, 2021/2022) Role of Stakeholders in Sustainable Hygiene Promotion Among Food Vendors: A Case Study of Tsuibleoo in the Ledzokuku Municipal (Principal Supervisor)
  • Djossou Sedolo Meyliath Frayline (Mphil, 2021/2022) Environmental Impacts of Biomedical Waste Management Practices in Selected Hospitals in Greater Accra Region, Ghana (Co-Supervisor)