Ghana’s ties with the Republic of Korea have received a major boost as Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Acting Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), was honoured with the prestigious Diplomatic Service Medal at the 2025 Development Cooperation Day ceremony in Seoul.

Held under the theme “Together for Global Prosperity,” the event brought together global development leaders, where Korea’s Prime Minister, Lee Jae-Myung, personally presented Dr. Akoriyea with the award in recognition of his exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to strengthening health cooperation between the two nations.

Dr. Akoriyea is widely regarded as one of Ghana’s finest health administrators—an accomplished clinician, systems thinker, and reform-driven leader with more than 20 years of service.

His professional journey spans several critical roles, including Director of Institutional Care, Clinical Auditor and Deputy Director at the National Ambulance Service, and now Acting Director-General of the GHS.

He has championed major reforms in emergency and critical care, biomedical engineering, patient safety, hospital management, and health infrastructure development.

His leadership has played a significant role in improving Ghana’s capacity to deliver high-quality, equitable, and people-centred healthcare.

Internationally, Dr. Akoriyea is known for his contributions to global health security, digital health governance, neurosurgery advancement in West Africa, and cross-border health collaboration.

A defining moment in Dr. Akoriyea’s career was his instrumental role in establishing the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) partnership in Ghana during his tenure as Director of the Institutional Care Division.

His diplomatic engagement and strategic foresight paved the way for the creation of the KOFIH Country Office in Ghana—now one of the most dynamic platforms for bilateral health cooperation.

Through KOFIH, Ghana has benefited from flagship programmes that continue to transform the health sector, including:

Maternal and newborn health improvement initiatives

Capacity-building for biomedical engineers and clinical professionals

Support for Emergency Medical Services development

Disability-friendly health programmes

Strengthened disease surveillance, laboratory systems, and hospital management

These interventions have significantly improved service delivery and enhanced Ghana’s health system resilience.

Dr. Akoriyea has also been a strong advocate of KOICA’s development programmes in Ghana, collaborating closely with the agency on health systems strengthening, public health capacity-building, WASH improvements in health facilities, digital innovation, and community-level health initiatives.

His recognition in Korea underscores Ghana’s growing influence in global health diplomacy and reflects the spirit of shared progress captured in the 2025 Development Cooperation Day theme.

The Ghana Health Service has congratulated Dr. Akoriyea on his well-deserved honour, praising his exceptional dedication to national development and his role in advancing Ghana’s position on the global health stage.

Dr. Akoriyea’s vision and leadership continue to inspire efforts toward a more resilient, innovative, and internationally connected health system for Ghana.