In 1986, Tim Johnson, then chair of obstetrics and gynecology in the U-M Medical School, traveled to Ghana as part of an initial group of Americans to reestablish relationships in medicine. The experience transformed him. Confronted with a shockingly high rate of maternal deaths that could have been prevented in the United States, Dr. Johnson launched a partnership with Ghanaian institutions for training Ob/Gyn health workers -- an unusual and singularly successful partnership, between U-M and Ghana, that continues to this day. The Ob/Gyn partnership led to further collaborations between U-M and Ghana, in other medical fields and beyond, including the social sciences and humanities.
Dr. Johnson will speak about his longstanding collaborations in Ghana about his new book, More Than "First Do No Harm," which demonstrates that the partnership has served as an important model for other global health collaborations.