MSc. Health Entrepreneurship

The problem of unemployment and underemployment among the youth remains a major socio-economic issue of concern globally and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Ghana is becoming a more educated and enlightened society, yet the rate of unemployment remains significantly high, raising concerns about the quality and relevance of education and training to the needs of the economy. The Annual Household and Expenditure Survey funded by the World Bank revealed that the unemployment rate has increased from 13.4 per cent to 13.9 per cent (1.8 million people) in 2022. Although Ghana’s economic growth performance has been impressive over the last four decades, averaging above 5% annually, this has not translated into productive employment opportunities for the rising youth population in the country. The high rate of unemployment, particularly among young graduates not only constitutes a loss of potential output and tax revenue to the state and a waste of the country’s human capital investment but also poses a serious threat to national security.

In light of this, and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goal 8, the governments have initiated several policy interventions over the years including the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), formerly the National Youth Employment Programme, and Youth Employment Agency (YEA) established under the Youth Employment Act 2015 (Act 887) to promote youth entrepreneurship to address the unemployment challenges.

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is established with a mission to advance knowledge in science and technology by creating an environment for undertaking relevant research, quality teaching, entrepreneurship training and community engagement to improve the quality of life. In furtherance of the government’s long-term vision to address the unemployment challenges through youth empowerment initiatives, and in fulfilment of KNUST’s mission, the MSc. programme in health entrepreneurship is jointly designed by the School of Business and the School of Public Health of the KNUST under the Mastercard Foundation Africa Health Collaborative initiative with the aim to develop, train, and empower students to become entrepreneurs in the health sector. The proposed MSc. The Health Entrepreneurship degree programme has been specifically designed to provide prospective students and health professionals with the knowledge, skills, and competencies to tap into the huge opportunities in the health sector to create start-ups and generate employment to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic and sustainable development of Ghana and beyond.