Professor Vincent Boima is a Full Professor of Medicine and Nephrology and the Head of the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS). His career is defined by a mission to improve systems for the prevention, early detection, and sustained treatment of kidney disease while generating locally relevant evidence to improve outcomes for African patients. His approach integrates biomedical nephrology with health systems thinking and the psychosocial dimensions of chronic disease.
Education
Professor Vincent Boima attended the John-Teye Memorial Institute and later joined his parents at Kadjebi in the Oti Region, where he gained admission to Kadjebi Secondary School in 1987 for his Ordinary Level certificate. He continued to Bishop Herman Secondary School, Kpando in the Volta Region, where he obtained his A Level certificate.
He subsequently obtained a BSc in Medical Sciences from the University of Ghana (1996–1999), followed by the MBChB in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Ghana Medical School (1999–2003). He then completed the Membership in Internal Medicine (MWACP) at the West African College of Physicians (2005–2008). To strengthen his research training, he earned a Certificate in Research Methodology at Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa (2008–2009). He undertook sub-specialty training in nephrology in Cape Town, completing both the International Society of Nephrology/Stellenbosch University Fellowship in Nephrology (FISN) (2008–2010) and Fellowship Certificate in Nephrology (SA) at the University of Stellenbosch/Tygerberg Hospital (2008–2010). He later earned a Fellowship in Internal Medicine (FWACP) from the West African College of Physicians (2010–2012) and completed training in research methods, biostatistics, proposal development, and Scientific writing through the Cardiovascular Research Institute/New York University (NIH Fogarty-supported) (2011–2012). He was admitted as a Fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (FGCPS) in Internal Medicine in December 2016, and subsequently obtained a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Ghana in November 2019.
Academic Appointments and Affiliations
At the University of Ghana, Professor Boima served as a lecturer (2014–2017) and Senior Lecturer (2017–2022) in the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics and was an Associate Professor of
Medicine and Nephrology from August 2022 to August 2024. Beyond UGMS, he has served as a part-time lecturer for residents in training at the 37 Military Hospital/Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (from September 2015) and was Research Coordinator for the Department of Medicine and Therapeutics at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (2016–2019). His clinical career at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital spans early internship through specialist and senior specialist roles: House Officer (Obstetrics and Gynaecology; March–August 2003), House Officer (Internal Medicine; September 2003–April 2004), Medical Officer at the Chest Clinic (May 2004–September 2005), Resident in Internal Medicine (October 2005–April 2009), Specialist in Internal Medicine (October 2009–October 2011), and Senior Specialist in Internal Medicine (October 2012–August 2014).
Administrative Appointments
Professor Boima has held key administrative and leadership roles within UGMS and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, including Acting Head of Department, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics (April 2020 – August 2020), and Head of the Nephrology Unit (from August 2016). He has served as UGMS representative on the University of Ghana Academic Board (from February 2021) and previously represented UGMS on the College Academic Board (2018–2020). He also oversaw the assessment of NHIS claims for the Department of Medicine at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (2016–2018). Regionally, he is the Chair of the Renal Registry of the African Association of Nephrology (from December 2020), served as Secretary of the Internal Medicine Faculty of the West African College of Physicians (2016–2020), chaired the Educational Committee of the Ghana Kidney Association (2015–2017), and has been Secretary of the Ghana Kidney Association (from December 2017- 2023) and is currently the vice president of the association.
Boards, Committees, and Extension Services
Within the University of Ghana, he serves on key governance and quality structures, including representation on the University Academic Board and the College of Health Sciences Academic Board, and membership of the departmental Quality Assurance Committee. Externally, he was a member of the Maternal Mortality Audit Committee at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (from May 2016- 2019), a member of the Africa Regional Board of the International Society of Nephrology, and a member of the Steering Committee of the H3Africa Kidney Disease Research Network. He currently serves on the Technical Oversight Committee of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund and is a member of the committee that developed the Fund’s legal documentation. In addition, he is a member of the Continuing Medical Education Committee of the Ghana Medical Association and the Credentials Committee of the Medical and Dental Council. He is a member of the Rare Kidney Disease (RKD) Journal Editorial Board for the GlomCon Foundation.
In addition to university governance and departmental leadership roles, Professor Boima has contributed to regional capacity building through curriculum development and harmonisation for renal physician training in the West African sub-region (WAHO, 2017).
He has participated in national guideline development efforts, including authorship contributions to Ghana’s cardiovascular disease guidelines (hypertension chapter) through the Ghana Heart Initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. He has also led protocol development to structure nephrology fellowship training and has supported efforts towards accreditation of a regional nephrology training centre under the International Society of Nephrology framework.
Membership of Professional and International Organizations
Professor Boima is an active member of professional bodies spanning nephrology and internal medicine, including the International Society of Nephrology (member since 2009; Africa Regional Board member from 2019), American Society of Nephrology (since 2010), South African Renal Society (since 2009), African Association of Nephrology (since 2014), Ghana Kidney Association, Ghana Medical Association (since 2003), and the Ghana Medical and Dental Fellowship (since 2003). He is also a Fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (since 2016) and the West African College of Physicians (since 2012).
Current Research Focus
Professor Boima’s research focuses on the epidemiology and lived experience of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and other chronic non- communicable diseases in Ghana, with particular emphasis on psychological comorbidity (including depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment) and its impact on quality of life and adherence. A major strand of his work examines public and patient perceptions of CKD treatment options, especially kidney transplantation within Ghana’s cultural, religious, and health systems context, including willingness to pay and willingness to donate organs. He is also engaged in genetics and CKD research through the H3Africa Kidney Disease Research Network, contributing to studies of APOL1 renal risk alleles and gene- environment interactions relevant to kidney disease progression among African populations. 2021). He is a reviewer for several local and International Journals, including the International Journal of Hypertension, the African Journal of Nephrology, PLOS ONE, BMC, BMJ, Clinical Transplantation, amongst others.
Research Grants
Professor Boima has secured and contributed to competitively funded research as principal investigator and co-investigator. His funded portfolio includes University of Ghana ORID grants examining resilience and outcomes in young adults with diabetes and hypertension, and earlier work on public perception of organ transplantation and psychological well-being among CKD and haemodialysis patients. He is a co-investigator on major multi-country genomic and bioethics/engagement programmes, including NHGRI-funded Community Engagement in Biobanking and Genomics (CEBioGen) and NIDDK-funded H3Africa Kidney Disease Research Network initiatives, as well as an NHLBI- supported project on genetic underpinnings of cardiorenal risk in Africans and African Americans.
Teaching
Professor Boima is deeply involved in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. At UGMS, he teaches across the clinical years in Internal Medicine through lectures, tutorials, ward- based teaching, outpatient clinic instruction, and emergency-room teaching. He also contributes substantially to postgraduate specialist and subspecialist training for residents and nephrology fellows of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons and the West African College of Physicians, delivering seminars and case- based teaching in core nephrology domains (acid–base, fluid and electrolytes, AKI, CKD, renal replacement therapy) and supervising dissertations and procedural training. His mentorship includes supervision and co-supervision of multiple graduate and fellowship theses across nephrology, cardiology, infectious diseases, pharmacy, dietetics, anatomy, chemical pathology, and pharmacology, as well as supervision of undergraduate medical and allied health research projects.
Clinical Work/ Healthcare
Professor Boima’s clinical practice is centred on renal medicine and internal medicine at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, complemented by multi-institutional consultancy work in Accra. His work spans outpatient and inpatient nephrology care, emergency renal consultations, renal replacement therapies, and the strengthening of service delivery through training protocols and unit-development initiatives, including support for dialysis unit expansion and resource mobilisation for unit renovation. In 2006, Prof. Boima received the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Best Worker Award (Doctors category).
Community Service
Professor Boima has contributed extensively to kidney health awareness and prevention through sustained participation in World Kidney Day activities, including public education via television and radio, community screening for kidney disease, and continuing medical education for primary care physicians. He has supported Ghana Kidney Association outreach activities (including school-based screening and education), contributed to health-system administrative improvement through NHIS claims form editing for the Department of Medicine, and participated in fundraising and infrastructure support for dialysis service expansion.
Family and Christian Life
Professor Vincent Boima was born in Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana and hails from Leklebi-Agbesia, near Hohoe in the Volta Region. He is married to Afi Ofosu-Boima, who is a Risk Management Professional, and they have two children: Fafa and Mawuena Kekeli. His personal interests include driving and watching football. He was baptised in 1987 and has remained steadfast in his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He has served in several Christian leadership and service roles, including as a member of the Scripture Union at Bishop Herman Secondary School, a Sunday School teacher, and later Superintendent at the Assemblies of God Church, Kadjebi. He was a member of the medical team at the International Central Gospel Church, Christ Temple. Currently, he is a member of the Korle Bu Community Chapel, where he serves as a council member and the Head of the Infirmary.
Source: Brochure for Exhibition of Scholarly Works of Prof. Boima
Photos by Newswatchgh.com
