The Cornell Center for Health Equity (CCHEq) has accepted a research poster from the Ghana Hypertension Screening Initiative for its annual symposium in May 2026. The poster will present GHSI's community-engaged model for hypertension screening and follow-up among informal sector workers in Greater Accra, Ghana.
Academic Recognition for Community Work
The CCHEq symposium brings together researchers, practitioners, and community partners working on health equity across diverse populations. GHSI's inclusion signals that diaspora-led community health initiatives can meet the same standards of rigor expected of university-based research while remaining grounded in the realities of the communities they serve.
The poster will highlight GHSI's three-pillar model: culturally adapted health education, WHO-protocol blood pressure screening, and a 12-month closed-loop follow-up system. It will also present the systems thinking framework that informed the initiative's design, drawing on DSRP methodology developed at Cornell.
Bridging the University-Community Gap
GHSI sits at an unusual intersection. It is led by a Cornell-affiliated professional with training in systems thinking and public policy, yet it is designed for implementation in lorry stations and open-air markets in Accra. The CCHEq symposium provides a platform to demonstrate that these worlds are not separate. Rigorous design and community ownership can coexist, and in fact, the most sustainable health interventions require both.
The symposium takes place on May 11, 2026 at Cornell University. For more about GHSI's evidence base, visit our Research page.