Cecilia Anna Asare a retired Principal Nursing Officer of the Koforidua Regional Hospital, Ghana was born on November 2, 1946 at Assin Praso in the Central Region of Ghana, to Opanyin Kojo Asare, a Timber Contractor and a General Merchant of Assin Praso and Obaapanyin Susanna Fosua Korankye, a.k.a Yaa Manu of Assin Kushea both of blessed memory.
To actualize her great admiration and strong passion for the nursing career, Cecilia enrolled at the Holy Family Nursing Training School at Berekum, in the then Brong Ahafo from October 1962 to May1966 and obtained a Qualified Registered Nurses (QRN) Certificate. She furthered her career by enrolling in the Midwifery Training School, Korle-Bu in Accra, between November 1972 and May 1974 and obtained a Midwifery Certificate. She rose through the ranks (of her nursing/midwifery career) to become a Principal Nursing Officer (PNO). She was addressed as Sister Asare by her colleagues in the (nursing and) medical fraternity.
Cecilia worked at many stations within Ghana's health sector including Holy Family Hospital, Berekum, 37 Military hospital, Accra, Suyani Regional Hospital, Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Korele-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Cape Coast Regional Hospital, Koforidua Regional Hospital, Akim Oda Government Hospital and Densuano R. C. H, Koforidua (post retirement).
In 1999, she furthered her education in the nursing career by enrolling at Uppsala University - Sweden (Obst. & Gynae Department of Women & Children's Health) and obtained a certificate in Advanced International Training in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. Her training at Uppsala University was complemented with a Project Work in Ghana and a series of follow-up Seminars in Zimbabwe.
After her training in Uppsala, she delivered several training workshops covering areas such as Prevention of mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV – 2003.
Trainer-Of-Trainers in Voluntary Counselling & Testing (VCT)/ Prevention of mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMCT)
Cecilia was in charge of the Maternity Block of the Koforidua Regional Hospital of /the Gov’t Hosp for many years and was renowned for her discipline and development of the unit.
During her career, Cecilia honed her skills in midwifery and became a national trainer of Life Saving Skills in Midwifery (An American College of Nurse/Midwives project), and Safe Motherhood Clinical Skills for Midwives from October 1990 until several years after her retirement from active service in 2007. She was involved in the training of midwives country-wide and travelled a lot on such projects.
Cecilia was an Examiner in Midwifery, for the Nurses & Midwives Council, from 1996 to 2006. She was also a Ghana Team Member of the Africa Initiatives - Safe Motherhood: Obstetric Care, Dissemination Meetings which were held in March 1998 (Malawi), June 1998 (Uganda) and September 1998 (Ghana).
In the course of her nursing career, she received many commendations, notable among them were Certificates of Commendation from the American College of Nurse/Midwives in 1991as a Trainer in Life Saving Skills for Midwives in Ghana, and commendation for outstanding work in promoting the baby-friendly hospital initiative, from the Ministry of Health, Ghana in 1999.
Cecilia was the first Ghanaian midwife to win the Marie Goubran Memorial Award by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). The award was ‘in recognition of past achievements and future aspirations in the field of Midwifery’. The Triennial Award, which included a certificate and a cash prize, was presented to Sister Asare at the ICM's triennial conference in Vienna, Austria, on April 14, 2002. Dedicating the prestigious award to the memory of her late parents, she used the Cash prize to conduct a benefict-project in four selected health centres at Assin Kushea, Assin Praso, Assin Jaikai and Assin Awusam of Ghana. The project targeted improvement in reproductive health services in the beneficiary communities, and focused specifically on enhancing the health centers’ ability to prevent maternal & infant mortality and morbidity. Cecilia, a shining star of Assin Kushea and Assin Praso, really made her people proud by her sterling achievements in health care.
In 2003, she received commendations from the National Council of the Ghana Registered Midwives Association (GRMA) in recognition of her achievements which elevated Ghanaian Midwives internationally and encouraged other Midwives for higher laurels.
She is survived by three sons and a daughter, five grandchildren, four maternal siblings, and many nephews and nieces.
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