NAVRONGO, Kassena-Nankana District, Ghana – Ms. Bernice Baako, Ms. Deborah Narwortey, and Ms. Jane Ansah-Owusu discussed how the Navrongo Integrated Surveillance Project (NISP), a collaboration between the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF) in the U.S., Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and Navrongo Health Research Center (NHRC) in Ghana propelled their careers to address gender discrimination and lead efforts to forecast, detect, and combat infectious diseases in West Africa.

Funded by the Global Health Engagement Research Initiative (GHERI), NISP leverages the clinical studies of the Joint West Africa Research Group (JWARG)-led RV466 study “Severe Infectious Disease: Surveillance, Risks, and Consequences in West Africa” together with entomological surveillance, xenosurveillance, Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) engagements, climate, and ethnographic surveys. The project employs a two-phase, multi-organizational One Health approach assessing potential exposure to emerging zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens in the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) area of responsibility. Through NISP, the DOD encourages AFRICOM’s Ghanaian partners to curb gender discrimination in the scientific community by empowering women scientists through leadership roles at the frontline of detecting and characterizing biological threats and promoting their capacity to predict and mitigate potential outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Baako led the project’s NHRC Entomology Division, while Narwortey and Ansah-Owusu oversaw program execution at the NHRC and NMIMR respectively. All three women mentored other aspiring female scientists in Ghana. Baako, Narwortey, and Ansah-Owusu’s trajectories under NISP illustrate WRAIR’s initiatives to cultivate female leadership in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics field.

Ms. Bernice Baako (Master of Philosophy in Entomology)

Baako became interested in entomology when she pursued her second choice of study at university.

“My siblings pursued careers in the arts, so being the sole family member in science was challenging,” she recalled her resolve to succeed, and described her motivation to remain resilient throughout. “To make my family proud, I was determined to do well in my studies.”

While undertaking her one-year mandatory national service, Baako joined NISP’s entomology unit at the NHRC as it’s the only female scientist. She reflected on the marginalization and skepticism faced from male colleagues.

“I had to go the extra mile,” Baako said. “I was sometimes sidelined from responsibilities but channeled that negativity to excel.” Her resilience and work ethic were recognized when she was appointed her to lead the unit by her supervisor, and supportive allies bolstered her confidence in asserting her authority.

Baako aims to inspire more female scientists by advocating for gender equity in STEM. Her abstract was recently accepted for presentation at the 2024 Military Health System Research Symposium, marking a career milestone.

“NISP empowered me to advocate for women scientists,” Baako said. “Having more female mentors can help women confide in someone who understands the challenges they face in the field.”

Ms. Deborah Narwortey (Master of Philosophy in Clinical Microbiology)

Narwortey joined NISP as a project coordinator at the NHRC after finishing her master’s degree in 2020. She assumed responsibilities that tested her abilities in administrative oversight, regulatory compliance, and logistical coordination.

“Executing these duties has catalyzed my professional development, Narwortey said. “At first, it was very challenging to coordinate a project of this caliber. With determination, I learned quickly how to integrate in a male-dominated area to ensure the project’s success.”

Narwortey set high standards for professionalism and efficiency, by supervising field enrollment activities, coordinating logistics mobilization, and overseeing staff training.

“My participation in NISP offered a great platform for career growth and exposure as a young female scientist. I gained invaluable experiences in team building, communication, and leadership.”

“Overall, my professional confidence as a research scientist has been enhanced due to my involvement in the NISP project.”

Narwortey expressed eagerness in leveraging her experiences to create more opportunities for young women in Ghana. She envisions a future where mentorship, skills development, and collaborative research efforts empower the next generation of female scientists to thrive in their chosen fields.

Ms. Jane Ansah-Owusu (Master of Public Health)

Ansah-Owusu knew that she wanted to pursue a career in biological sciences from an early age.

“I became fascinated by science in junior high school and decided to study General Science in senior high school and Biological Sciences in university. Unlike schools that specialized early, I was able to enjoy the broad exposure that my university offered across various scientific fields.”

After completing her national service at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), Ansah-Owusu joined the Vector Research Group of the Parasitology department of NMIMR. She became interested in entomology and later joined the NISP’s vector group at NMIMR as a project coordinator.

“I focused initially on ticks and vector-borne diseases and participated in NGO initiatives like Vacation Initiatives in Science Africa teaching STEM subjects to children, which I found fulfilling.”

“Joining the NISP group as a project coordinator under the supervision of my mentor at Noguchi allowed me to coordinate training, see to administrative tasks, communicate with various leads of the project and all other activities as per the oversight NMIMR is to render.”

Her commitment to STEM education initiatives and her pursuit of an entomology career.

“My role exposed me to different approaches in combating diseases. Seeing the impactful results of our research has been rewarding, teaching me that others can achieve their goals with determination and inspiration from mentors in their field.”

Baako, Narwortey, and Ansah-Owusu overcame gender discrimination and advanced their careers through cultivating resilience, mentorship, and community engagement within NISP. Their profiles underscore women’s achievements and challenges in STEM fields and demonstrate the importance of support systems, mentorship, and advocacy for fostering inclusive environments where all scientists can thrive.