February 18, 2026
Global WACh Rising Star adolescent smoking research awarded at the Paediatric Society of Ghana Annual General and Scientific Meeting
Dr. Kingsley Hattoh, a doctor and researcher affiliated with the Tamale Teaching Hospital
Congratulations to Global WACh Rising Star (2023-2024) Dr. Rafiuk Cosmos Yakubu and Dr. Kingsley Hattoh with the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, for sharing outstanding research linked to the Global WACh-funded study, “Association of Inhaled-Substance Use and Respiratory Problems in Adolescents in the Tamale Metropolis of Ghana” at the annual Paediatric Society of Ghana Annual General and Scientific Meeting held from February 5th-7th.
Dr. Hattoh was named winner of Best Abstract (Poster Category).
The study explored smoking behavior among adolescents and young adults and the respiratory symptoms they experienced as a result from smoking. Findings showed that many smokers want to stop smoking but very few have received counseling from health professionals. This highlights a future opportunity to provide smoking cessation support at the teaching hospital, such as introducing a nicotine addiction treatment program, among this cohort of smokers and to evaluate improvements in lung health.
Learn more about the study background and preliminary findings from Dr. Yakubu’s Breakfast with WACh talk held in May 2025. Click here to watch.