Young Physician Leader Spotlight: Dr Promise E. Sefogah

Where someone lives should not determine whether they can build a family.

This principle guides the work of Young Physician Leader Dr Promise E. Sefogah, a reproductive medicine specialist committed to expanding high-quality, ethical fertility care in low-resource settings.

Dr Sefogah was recently honoured by the University of Ghana Medical School as an Outstanding Alumnus, recognising his leadership in reproductive health, medical education and health systems strengthening. The award reflects the national and regional impact of his work.

Based in Accra, Ghana, Dr Sefogah serves as Senior Lecturer and Head of Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Ghana Medical School and as Consultant OBGYN at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the country’s largest tertiary referral centre. In these roles, he combines clinical care, research and training to strengthen fertility services across Ghana.

He completed advanced training in Clinical Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Yale Fertility Center and holds a Master of Public Health from the University of London. He has applied this international training to develop sustainable fertility care models tailored to the realities of patients and health systems in resource-constrained contexts.

For nine years, Dr Sefogah has been an active member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Through scientific exchange and skills training, he has strengthened postgraduate education in reproductive endocrinology and infertility in Ghana. His research has amplified perspectives from sub-Saharan Africa on infertility, fibroids, fertility preservation, menopause, maternal mental health and the ethical dimensions of assisted reproductive technologies.

In December 2024, he facilitated the ASRM Embryo Transfer Simulation Training Course and helped bring hands-on technical training to Ghana. This initiative strengthened local expertise and expanded access to quality fertility services.

Dr Sefogah also serves as Vice President of the Fertility Society of Ghana and General Secretary of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Ghana. He contributes as a consultant to the World Health Organization on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and as an external reviewer for WHO Infertility Guidelines.

Looking ahead, he aims to establish a national infertility registry in Ghana, strengthen ethical and regulatory frameworks for assisted reproduction, and mentor the next generation of reproductive endocrinologists in West Africa.

His leadership reflects the mission of IAP’s Young Physician Leaders programme to support emerging health leaders who advance equitable, evidence-based care worldwide.