1. Valentine C. Mbatchou
2. Kwabena Asante
3. R.L.K. Glover
4. Emmanuel Arhin
5. Melvin Adonadaga
6. Ohene B.Apea
7. Emmanuel O. Oyelude (Reporting)

The meeting commenced at about 11:39 hours. The secretary read the minutes of the first meeting which was adopted by the house. The secretary is to make a copy of the minutes available to every member in good time. This is to permit amendments to be made, if any, and a final version of the minutes to be prepared before the next meeting.

The third hemispheric conference on medical geology will be held the week of 12th to 16th October, 2009 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The aim of this conference is to promote interdisciplinary discussions, international scientific collaborations and to build up new personal contacts between medical geology researchers by bringing together scientists to share the most recent advances and latest information on medical geology research with particular emphasis on environmental and health problems. Medical geological problem is global in nature. That is what informed the United Nations to establish the International Geological Correlation Programme (IGCP).

There was consensus that the chapter should be fully represented at the conference. The chapter is seeking for sponsorship opportunities for two members to attend the conference. It is the hope of the chapter that our quest to secure sponsor(s) will be successful. Our presence at the conference will be a demonstration of our commitment to the IMGA and help us to network with other members from different parts of the world. The chapter plans to use the conference platform to present the preliminary reports of some pilot research projects and table our new research proposals. To this end, an ad-hoc committee to oversee the participation of the chapter at the conference was set up. The members are: Emmanuel A. Arhin, Ohene B. Apea and Emmanuel O. Oyelude.

The chapter intends to promote the IMGA activities by organising lectures, seminars and workshops. We hope to start locally through awareness creation and later encourage student membership once we are firmly established. To this end, we plan to encourage and bring on board persons of like minds, from other faculties of the University for Development Studies, whose research activities could be co-opted into medical geology. The dean of the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies and the coordinator of the environmental programme of the same faculty are possible contact points. Mr. Felix Longi could be a very useful person to penetrate School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Centre of Continue Education and Inter-disciplinary Research (CCEIR). Mr. Melvin Adonadaga was to get in touch with the vice dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences on the possibility of using the weekly seminar period of the faculty to promote IMGA activities. Mr. Emmanuel O. Oyelude was willing to present the report of the pilot study carried out on water quality of some open wells in the Kassena-Nankana District.

The chapter is going to network with other institutions within Ghana and West Africa sub-region. The chapter plans to liaise with the health research institutes (especially those at Navrongo and Kintampo), ministry of health and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To this end, we intend to seek opportunity for Mr. Emmanuel A. Arhin to possibly present at Navrongo Health Research Institute, the paper he presented at the last inter-faculty lectures held at Navrongo Campus.

Two project proposals were presented to the house: one on Geophagia with Ohene B. Apea as team leader and the other on Geochemical Atlas of Ghana with Emmanuel A. Arhin as the team leader. The former is yet to be fully developed to include project design, data analysis, beneficiaries, activity plan and estimated budget. The latter was a fully developed project. The two projects, together with others that may be developed later, are to be presented to the IMGA headquarters for sponsorship. Some of the other projects waiting to be developed into project proposals include the quality of underground water in the northern part of Ghana. It is assumed that the rate of jaundice cases in Regional Hospital, Bolgatanga is probably linked to arsenic poisoning.

For effective running of the affairs of the local chapter, the members unanimously agreed to pay a monthly due of five Ghana cedis (GH₵5.00) starting from February 2009. The names of members who paid on the spot are:

The due for each month falls due on the first day of the month. The due is to be paid to the Interim Secretary who is going to serve as the treasurer until a constitution for the local chapter is adopted and election held.

The chapter is going to levy the members when necessary to achieve its objectives.

A formal certificate recognising us as the Ghana chapter of the IMGA is being expected. The chapter is to find out if it needs to register with the Registrar General office to function effectively. An ad-hoc committee made up of Mr. Kwabena Asante and Mr. Valentine C. Mbatchou was set up to draft a constitution for the chapter.

Mr. Emmanuel A. Arhin informed the house that he had not transfer the dues of the members to the headquarters of IMGA. This was due to excessive commission demanded by banks. He, however, informed the IMGA about this circumstance and he was asked to keep the money meanwhile.

The next meeting is scheduled to hold on 13th March, 2009. The meeting ended at about 13.50 hours.

Signed

Emmanuel O. Oyelude

Interim Secretary/PRO