Ghana’s health diplomacy received international acclaim this week as Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Acting Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), was awarded the Diplomatic Service Medal by the President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae Myung.
The honour was presented at the 2025 Korea Development Cooperation Day in Seoul, recognising Dr. Akoriyea’s pivotal role in advancing Ghana–Korea health cooperation and his longstanding leadership in global health development.
Dr. Akoriyea was specifically recognised for his instrumental role in establishing and expanding the work of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) in Ghana—a partnership he helped anchor within the GHS in 2013.
Under his leadership, KOFIH’s annual support to Ghana has grown from $300,000 to over US$1.1 million, making it one of the country’s most impactful bilateral health partners.
KOFIH-funded initiatives have significantly strengthened Ghana’s health system, covering maternal and child health in the Volta and Oti Regions, biomedical engineering, laparoscopic surgery services, training programs for health workers, child disability rehabilitation, and national health insurance capacity-building.
Dr. Akoriyea has also fostered close collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), supporting health security, CHPS revitalisation, maternal and child health, and broader workforce development initiatives.
In the citation signed by President Lee Jae Myung, Dr. Akoriyea was commended for “outstanding and meritorious service rendered to promoting friendly relations between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Ghana.”
The Ghana Health Service congratulated him, noting that the award reflects both his personal dedication and Ghana’s growing influence in global health diplomacy.
