Ghanaian scientist and inventor honoured by Aburi Old Girls’ Association

A Chartered Ghanaian Scientist, Dr. Sylvia Josephine Anie, who holds a patent for a scientific invention, is a recipient of this year's honorary awards by the Old Students of Aburi Girls.

The award is the highest recognition the Association bestows on past students with outstanding achievements impacting positively on society.

Dr. Anie worked as a researcher at the Medical School, University of Manchester, UK d where she made waves across the globe by creating a compound relating to the 'Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Gastro - Intestinal Tract', documented and filed in 1990.

She holds a patent for the discovery of the compound. This coupled with several other important scientific contributions led to her elevation in 2013 as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the United Kingdom (UK).

Her achievements in the field of Medicine also propelled her to the status of a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, another elite institution based in UK.

Part of the citation which she received under the signature of the National President of the Aburi Girls' Old Students Association, Mrs. Cynthia Asare Bediako reads:

“You have contributed to scientific knowledge, and in the area of sustainable human development through articles in journals, chapters in books, presentations, policy briefs, research papers as well as abstract reviews. You have garnered experience and understanding of coordinating and monitoring large – scale development programmes in collaboration with development partners, private sector and civil society organizations”.

Under the leadership of Dr. Sylvia Anie as the first Director of Policy Planning, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Ghana AIDS Commission, she played a key role in the implementation of Ghana's multi-sectoral response to HIV and AIDS.

Her recent international position was the Director for Social Transformation Programmes Division (STPD) at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

In 2011 she addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Health, Education and Gender Equality. She also made several contributions during the crafting of the UN Political Declaration on Non-Communicable Disease (2011) and UN Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS (2011).

Dr. Anie was in high spirits when XFM's David Apinga caught up with her. She disclosed in an interview how grateful she was to the Association and said, “I was delighted when I was informed about the citation. It took me by surprise”.

She thanks God “for paving the way” and acknowledged her supportive family especially her father who exposed her to creative thinking at a very tender age.

The scientist praised her alma mater for the foundation and training she received which stimulated her thirst for knowledge and interest in science.

She is passionate about driving reforms to protect the marginalized and empower girls and called on authorities to honour distinguished women in society to serve as encouragement to young ladies to pursue higher heights.

Dr. Anie underscored the need to educate every girl child and advocates for the abolishment of negative cultural and societal norms which disregard women.

Her ultimate advice was that:
“Every experience you go through is a lesson to propel you forward. There is sometimes goodness in every bad thing that happens. When we lose an opportunity God graces us with another which invariably proves more spectacular than the first. Life will never be one smooth journey- this was not meant to be”.

Story by: David Apinga/XFMNewscenter