Our Woman Achiever for August 2022: Prof. Lydia Aziato

Professor Lydia Aziato, popularly known in the nursing and midwifery fraternity as ‘Prof. 1’ is the first nurse to be appointed a PROFESSOR in Ghana and the first nurse to be appointed a Vice-Chancellor (VC) in Ghana and West Africa and second nurse VC in the whole of Africa. She is really a trailblazer and an inspiration to many. Her appointment as a VC of the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) has added the University to the list of those with female VCs – the 5^th in Ghana.

Professor Aziato worked as a bedside nurse at the Mamprobi Polyclinic, Accra before she joined the University of Ghana, Legon in 2001 after her first degree. She rose through the ranks from a Senior Nurse Technician (2001-2006), Assistant Lecturer (2006-2008), Lecturer (2008-2014), Senior Lecturer (2014-2017), Associate Professor (2017-2020) and Professor (2020 to date). Thus, she has 21 years of experience in academia.

RECOGNITION, AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Prof. Aziato has received several awards and recognitions for her professional and academic excellence. Some of her academic awards/scholarships include: Centre of Teaching and Learning Scholarship (CENTALS), Doctoral Scholarship for PhD in Nursing, 2011-2012, (University of the Western Cape), Unilever Postgraduate Studies Award for MPhil in Nursing, 2003-2005, (College of Health Sciences). First Class Award with highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of her class in 2001, Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC) distinction award in Medicine/Medical Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, Obstetric Nursing, Paediatric Nursing and Patient Care Study during the professional national licensure examinations in 1997.

Professor Aziato has received professional recognition both locally and internationally such as: Emerging Nurse Researcher Award for Africa 2017 awarded by STTI and conferred in Dublin Ireland, National Nursing and Midwifery Education and Research Excellence Award by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Ghana, which was a recognition for contribution to research and raising the image of nursing and midwifery locally and internationally by MoH in 2020, and Distinguished Health Education Award; Excellence in Leadership in Nursing Research during the Leaders in Health and Tech Conference Awards 2021 – by the MHM Health Consultancy Ltd, UK.

In addition, the Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) in 2021, established an annual award in her name called the Prof. Lydia Aziato Research Award for her enviable contribution to nursing and midwifery knowledge. Professor Aziato had life-time recognition by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana in 2019 as ‘Dedicated Mentor, Goal Driven, Transformational Leader and Renowned Award Winning Qualitative Researcher’. She was also given meritorious service and recognition by the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives for her contribution as the first Chairperson of the Oncology Nursing Specialist programme (2015-2017) and her role in securing funding from Roche Pharmaceuticals for the programme.

Professor Lydia Aziato is a fellow of the Africa Science Leadership Programme, Ghana Young Academy, the West African Postgraduate College of Nursing and Midwifery, and a foundation fellow of GCNM. She is also an Alumnus of Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES) International Deans´ Course, Africa, 2019/2020 cohort.

LEADERSHIP AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE

Administratively, she was the Head of Department for Adult Health at the University of Ghana School of Nursing and Midwifery from 2016-2018, Acting Dean (2017-2019) and Dean (2019 to 2022). She was the first substantive Dean of the School. During her 5 year-tenure as Dean, there was significant growth of the School where the first MPhil and Master of Science (MSc) Midwifery programmes and PhD in Nursing were introduced. She led the introduction of sandwich programmes at the School as well as exponential growth in faculty and publications. Thus, she was instrumental in re-branding the School of Nursing and Midwifery to become visible and research focused.

Professor Aziato founded Research Mentorship Alliance, a NGO that gives her the platform to develop the research skills of young scientists in Ghana. Currently, she is the President of Chi Omicron Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), the second largest Nursing Organization globally. She is an active member of STTI and has served in many capacities within this global space such as reviewer for awards, conference abstracts, and moderator of conference presentations.

Professor Lydia Aziato has extensive corporate governance experience as she has served on several boards and committees locally and internationally including; International Organization for Standardization through Ghana Standard Authority, College of Health Sciences Quality Assurance Committee,  University of Ghana Hospital board, Member of Academic Board of University of Ghana, Narh-Bita College Board, Nightingale Nursing College Board, Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA) Management Committee, Governing Council of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCNM), Chi Omicron Board, STTI Regional Coordinating Committee, Advisory Council Member of International Academic Nursing Alliance, and several other statutory and adhoc committees and boards of the University of Ghana and its affiliate institutions. She is also a member of the Breast Society of Ghana.

ACADEMIC AND ACCREDITATION EXPERIENCE

Professor Lydia Aziato has experience in mentoring multi-disciplinary doctoral students under the Pan-African Doctoral Academy (PADA). She has taught at different levels from certificate to doctoral and in different institutions and units such as: Centre for Social Policy Studies, 37 Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Pantang Nursing Training College, Central University and the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives (GCNM). She has advanced qualitative research skills and has mentored a lot of students in this area. She is passionate about surgical nursing, advanced nursing theories and philosophical issues in nursing and midwifery.

Professor Aziato is an experienced curriculum developer and has worked with Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana, since 2015 in supervising various programmes for accreditation in various Universities  and Schools of Nursing and Midwifery such as: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC), University for Development Studies (UDS), Ankaful Nursing and Midwifery College, West End University College, Kaaf University College, St. Karol School of Nursing, Family Health University College, Technical University College, Ghana-Tamale, 37 Military Hospital Nursing and Midwifery School among others.

PUBLICATIONS AND INTERNATIONALISATION

Professor Lydia Aziato has published over 70 articles in credible international peer-reviewed journals, 3 books, and 4 book chapters. Her research interest includes pain, breast cancer, and women’s health. The citations of her research exceed 1,000 making her the leading nurse scholar in Ghana. Prof. Aziato’s research, conference participation, training and collaborative activities has taken her to many countries such as Canada, USA, UK, Finland, Turkey, Netherlands, Germany, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sierra-Leone, Kenya, Gambia, and South Africa. She has been part of several funded research with multidisciplinary research teams locally and internationally. She is a reviewer for many journals and serves on 3 editorial boards. She has supervised over 100 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students over the years and facilitated many workshops as well as given several keynote addresses.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Professor Aziato attended Ghana Senior High School, Koforidua from 1985-1992. In 1997, she completed the Nursing and Midwifery College, Korle Bu to become a professional nurse. She was a beneficiary of the Ghana COCOBOD Farmers’ Scholarship Trust during her O’Levels (1985-1990) as her parents were farmers. She completed her A-Level in 1992 in the same School. She had her bachelor’s degree in Nursing and Psychology in 2001 and a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Nursing in 2005 both from the University of Ghana. During her MPhil Programme, she had a scholarship from Unilever Ghana Ltd. In 2006, she had her specialty training in Oncology Nursing from the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Canada. Subsequently, she graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing from the University of the Western Cape (UWC), South Africa in 2013.

Professor Lydia Aziato commits to maintain the highest level of integrity, openness, and fairness in all her endeavours including research, teaching and learning, and administration.

She fellowships with Temple of Grace Baptist Church in Madina, Accra, Ghana.

FUN FACTS

Professor Lydia Aziato is married to Zangu-Rana Ibrahim D. Yakubu, the Registrar of Bolgatanga Technical University and they are blessed with three children – Manzoaya, Suguru-Veila and Wunpini.

She likes listening to music that cools the soul and relieves stress.