September 17, 2026

Global Cardiovascular Health Pilot Award funds new Global WACh and Pediatrics collaboration to improve newborn health in Ghana

This year’s Global Cardiovascular Health Program Interdisciplinary Team Science Pilot Grant is funding an exciting collaboration between Global WACh, UW Pediatrics, and the University of Development Studies and Tamale Teaching Hospital in Tamale, Ghana.

Drs. Nelangi Pinto (Professor, Pediatrics-Cardiology) and Kristin Beima Sofie (Senior Research Scientist, Global WACh) are Principal Investigators of “Pilot Implementation of Newborn Pulse Oximetry Screening to Improve Early Detection of Congenital Heart Disease in Resource Constrained Facilities in Northern Ghana.”

Co-Investigators include Drs. Donna Denno (Professor, Pediatrics-General Pediatrics and Global Health, Global WACh), Alhassan Abul-Mumin (Dean, School of Medicine, University for Development Studies; Consultant Paediatrician, Tamale Teaching Hospital), Rafiuk Cosmos Yakubu (Senior Lecturer, University of Development Studies and Senior Paediatrician, Tamale Teaching Hospital; 2025 Global WACh Rising Star Award Recipient), and Sheila Agyeiwaa Owusu (Lecturer, University for Development Studies and Paediatrician, Tamale Teaching Hospital; 2026-2027 NIH Fogarty LAUNCH Fellow).

This study will pilot test a simple screening test, called pulse oximetry, among newborns at one community hospital in Ghana. The test uses a small sensor on the baby’s skin to check oxygen levels and will be used to identify congenital heart disease early in life. The study team will also work with parents, nurses, and doctors to design an easy-to-use toolkit and then test this toolkit in the hospital to support everyday use. What they learn will help improve care and guide a larger implementation study in more hospitals in Ghana.

The project builds on prior relationships among the researchers in various capacities and research outcomes from a prior UW Population Health Initiative grant that provided key data on readiness to implement pulse oximetry for critical childhood illnesses and congenital heart disease screening in northern Ghana—a populous yet underserved part of the country. Leveraging these relationships and the knowledge and expertise each investigator brings new inter- and trans-disciplinary collaborations in the field of global cardiovascular health. 

Congratulations to the team and we look forward to sharing future updates on this project.