Dr. Shirley Phyllis Owusu-Ofori
Ag. Chief Executive Officer, National Blood Service

In July this year, the National Blood Service welcomed Dr. Shirley Phyllis Owusu-Ofori as its new acting Chief Executive Officer. Her appointment follows the retirement of her predecessor, Dr. Justina K. Ansah, in June 2022, after over 30 years on the job.

Dr. Shirley Phyllis Owusu-Ofori is the current African Regional Director of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). Dr. Owusu-Ofori is a Transfusion Medicine Consultant with vast experience in Blood Bank Management and Clinical Transfusion Medicine practice in Africa. A keen advocate and trainer in blood safety and safe transfusion practices with a particular interest in survival outcomes in Maternal and Paediatric patients. Shirley received her medical training in Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology – School of Medical Sciences, Kumasi, and is a Fellow of the Ghana College of Physicians – Laboratory Medicine Division. She also holds a Diploma in Transfusion Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.

She was the premiere Head of the Transfusion Medicine Unit, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi; a position she held from November 2000 to July 2022 and had since 2015 doubled up as the Head of the Central Zonal Blood Centre. Dr. Owusu-Ofori is an active researcher with over 60 publications, including three Cochrane systematic reviews under the Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders and the Infectious Diseases Groups. Her research interests span across blood donor care, voluntary donor activity and blood safety in resource-constrained economies.

Shirley is an international speaker and has delivered several presentations on blood donor care, voluntary blood donor activity in Ghana, blood safety in resource-constrained economies and safe transfusion practice, among other topics in several countries. She is currently affiliated with the African Society of Blood Transfusion (serving on the following AFSBT committees: Transfusion Associated Infections Committee, Research Consortium and Review Editor of Africa Sanguine), International Society of Blood Transfusion (serving on the following ISBT committees; ISBT Academy Advisory Committee, ISBT Science Series Editorial Board and ISBT Ethics Committee) and Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies. She also serves as a Medical Advisor on the Board of the Ghana Haemophilia Society.

Dr. Shirley Owusu-Ofori has, on two consecutive occasions, in 2012 & 2014, received the International Society of Blood Transfusion Award for Developing Countries (Runner-up Award Winner for Individuals).

The NBS hopes to benefit from her deep, active experience driving strategic transformations in blood services and transfusion medicine locally and internationally.