Dr. Linda A. Vanotoo is a seasoned health professional with over 35 years in healthcare provision and management. Currently, she is the Country Director for the USAID-funded Health System Strengthening Accelerator (Accelerator) programme in Ghana. Dr. Linda Vanotoo is the former Regional Director of Health Service for the Western and Greater Accra Regions. She holds several degrees and certificates including BSc Human Biology; MBChB; Master of Tropical Paediatrics; Applied Epidemiology; Surveillance for Management of Public Health Interventions; Reproductive Health and Development: Analytic Skills for Policy and Programmes; and Executive Masters in Business Administration. Dr. Linda A. Vanotoo has a PhD in Public Health from the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon. She is a Fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians; a Member of the International Stillbirth Advocacy Working Group and the International Stillbirth Alliance; and a part-time lecturer at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Ensign College of Public Health. Dr. Linda Amarkai Vanotoo is married with four children.


VOLUNTARY WORK / CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY Dr. Linda Vanotoo is the Founder/CEO of “Promote Maternal & Infant Survival Excellence (PROMISE) Initiative” which advocates excellence in maternal and child health and provides information and support to individuals and families to live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives. PROMISE also provides care for adolescent males (The Real Total Man concept). Through the Chosen Souls Center (CSC), Dr. Vanotoo and her husband (St. Edwin Vanotoo) have seen many young and needy people through school with support from funders: some of these beneficiaries have graduated from Universities and other tertiary institutions and they are now gainfully employed, including a Medical Doctor. Dr. Vanotoo is a trained counsellor: With support from her staff, she established the “Hope Restoration Center” at Adabraka Polyclinic to provide psychological [xviii] support to both clients and staff. This is the first of its kind in the Ghana Health Service to address the gap of mental health within the specialized area of maternal and newborn health. She is a Certified Compassionate Bereavement Care (CBC) provider through training by the MISS Foundation in Arizona, USA. By virtue of her contributions to health care delivery during her tenure as the Metropolitan Director of Health Service for the then Shama Ahanta East Metropolis in the Western Region, a street has been named after her to honour her for her dedication and excellent work in Public Health.


OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Dr. Vanotoo has written a book “The Pregnancy School: communicating with pregnant women and their families.” This book has been used in health training institutions to contribute to education of students in MNCH. The book is used as a reference document for the establishment of pregnancy schools throughout Ghana. Dr. Linda A. Vanotoo has come up with another innovative concept, “The Online Pregnancy School” which runs on YouTube (Dr. Linda A. Vanotoo) and Facebook (The Pregnancy School). This is reaching a lot of people within and outside Ghana and contributing to demand creation and access to health care including telemedicine

Selorm Gogo is a dynamic professional dedicated to making a significant impact in the field of business development strategy and social justice. With a strong academic background and extensive experience, holding an LLM from SOAS, University of London, and an LLB from the University of Ghana, Selorm is equipped with a comprehensive understanding of legal and business principles. As a qualified barrister called to the Bar in Ghana, Selorm combines legal expertise with a passion for business strategy consultancy. Specializing in working with charities and companies, she excels in identifying new market opportunities and maximizing revenue streams. Additionally, Selorm has established a successful ecommerce business, showcasing an entrepreneurial spirit and adaptability. Beyond the realm of business, Selorm is deeply committed to social issues, particularly domestic abuse. Drawing from personal experiences, she volunteers as a domestic violence peer mentor with a leading charity in London to empower survivors and raise awareness. Taking advocacy a step further, Selorm is currently spearheading the mobilization of resources to establish a Domestic Violence Resource Centre in Ghana. This initiative will include a women’s shelter and a leading training facility for domestic abuse professionals and stakeholders across Africa. Through her multifaceted endeavours, Selorm continues to inspire positive change, leaving a lasting impact on both the business and humanitarian landscapes.

Kojo Graham studied Economics and Statistics at the University of Ghana, and Scriptwriting at the Ghana Institute of Journalism.
He has over the years held editorial and administrative roles at Property Express Ltd. and SEDCO Publishing. He is currently the Managing Editor at Kharis Book Publishing.

Dr. Buruwaa Adomako Agyekum is a Clinical Psychologist and the Executive Director of AwoGhana - a human development non-profit serving the interest of women, children and families. She has key interests in perinatal and child mental health, the intersection between gender-based violence and mental health, and psychosocial intervention development. She co-organized the first International Abuse and Mental Health (iVAMHN) conference in 2021, which highlighted emerging issues, cutting edge research and promising practices and interventions across Lower to Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) settings. She is the author of Perinatal Mental Health Care in Ghana; Overview, Implications and Applications for Policy and Practice, and serves as the Ghana site Principal Investigator for ongoing multi-country research studies. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Ghana where she teaches Child and Family Studies.