Afua A.J. Hesse

Afua A.J. Hesse is member of the 2018 Guideline Development Group (GDG) of the WHO. The GDG's task is to develop updated recommendations on safe male circumcision for HIV prevention and related service delivery for adolescent boys and men in generalized HIV epidemics.

Biography

The WHO published the following biography of Afua A.J. Hesse:

HESSE, Afua A.J

• Disciplines of Anatomy and Surgery at The Accra College of Medicine and The Department of Surgery of the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry, Accra, Ghana

Professor Afua Hesse is the President of the Accra College of Medicine lecturing in the Disciplines of Anatomy and Surgery as well as Adjunct Professor in Paediatric Surgery at the Department of Surgery of the University of Ghana School of Medicine and Dentistry.

She is a former Head of the Department of Surgery at the UGSMD and a former Director of Medical Affairs and CEO of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra. Part of her work and research has involved training traditional circumcisers in safe male circumcision practices and looking at changing patterns of male neonatal circumcision as well as the social demographics and the outcomes of the circumcision using medical devices in KBTH, Accra.

She is very interested in Patient safety issues and Quality of healthcare. She undertook consultancies for the Ghana National Population Council on Sexual and reproductive Health which included HIV education as a strategy to reduce the high prevalence and transmission and reducing unsafe pregnancies. She has served on the WHO Technical advisory team for Male circumcision devices since 2010.

Professor Afua Hesse has authored over 40 papers in peer reviewed journals as well as sits on several editorial Boards of Indexed journals or is a reviewer for others. She has authored or contributed to 30 chapters to various books dealing both with her specialty and with Women and Children’s health. She has and continues to contribute to various national and governmental policy and advisory groups.

Professor Hess has published 18 papers according to PubMed. None address HIV or circumcision. She reportedly teaches safe circumcision methods so she seems to be a supporter of circumcision.