Source: newsthemegh.com
The eldest son of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, Professor Francis Nkrumah, died at the age of 89.
On Sunday, June 30, 2024, Professor Nkrumah passed away. He left behind a renowned legacy of contributions to public health and medical research.
Professor Francis Nkrumah was the firstborn child of the former President and was born to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and Madam Fanny Miller in Elmina, in the Central Region. While working as a middle school teacher in Amisano, a hamlet close to Elmina, Dr. Nkrumah got to know Madam Miller.
Francis Nkrumah was born out of their connection just before Dr. Nkrumah left to continue his education at Lincoln University in the United Kingdom.
Professor Francis Nkrumah had already achieved great academic success at St. Augustine’s College, where he excelled in his O Levels, by the time Dr. Nkrumah returned to Ghana.
By 1952, Dr. Nkrumah had ascended to the position of head of government business. He lived with his son in Accra’s New Town, where he later helped Francis pursue his medical studies in Germany on a Cocobod scholarship.
A well-known personality in the fields of public health and medical research was Professor Francis Nkrumah. As the head of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) with the longest tenure, he was instrumental in efforts to eradicate poliomyelitis throughout Africa.
In October 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Region recognized him for his noteworthy accomplishments and awarded him a commendation for his outstanding efforts to eradicate polio.
Professor Nkrumah received an award from the WHO Africa Region in recognition of his contributions to the NHO Ghana office, his chairmanship of the Regional Task Force on Immunization (TFI), and his work on the Africa Regional Certification Committee (ARCC).
The commitment of Professor Nkrumah to furthering medical research and raising public health standards is what defines his legacy. The medical community, as well as the country, mourn his demise with great sadness, as they remember him as a respected scholar and the proud son of Ghana’s first president.