Prof. Fobil

Professor Julius N. Fobil

Professor

Contact Info Email: jfobil@ug.edu.gh

Education and Qualification

Education: 

  • B.Sc(Hons) in Biol. Science – University of Ghana
  • M.Phil in Env’tal Science – University of Ghana
  • DTM in Tropical Medicine – Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine
  • DrPH – University of Bielefeld

Qualification: 

 

B.Sc (Hons), M.Phil, DrPH, DTM

Working Experience

  1. 08/2021-2024: Provost, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana
  2. 08/2019-2021: Dean, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana
  3. 08/2019-07/2020: Acting Head, Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana
  4. 08/2012-07/2019: Head, Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana       
  5. 02/2017-Present: Professor, Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana
  6. 01/2012-01/2017: Associate Professor, Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana 

  7. 2007–2012: Senior Research Fellow, Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana

  8. 2008-2011: Research Associate, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Department of Molecular & Tropical Medicine, Bernhard-Nocht Institute, Hamburg, Germany

  9. 2003–2007: Research Fellow, Department of Biological, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana

  10. 03/2001–2008: Environment and Health Specialist, Legal Resources Centre (LRC), Ghana

  11. 11/2000–02/2001: Environmental Engineer, Southern DataStream Inc. LaBelle, Florida (USA)

  12. 08/1999–05/2006: Resident Intern in Ghana, Horizon International Inc. (http://www.solutions-site.org) based at Yale University in the United States, Department of Biology

  13. 07/1997–10/2000: Teaching/Research Assistant, Department of Zoology and the Volta Basin Research Project (VBRP), University of Ghana

Publications

  1. Lin N., Kwarteng L., Godwin C., Warner S., Robins TG., Arko-Mensah J., Fobil JN. & Batterman S. (2021) Airborne volatile organic compounds at an e-waste site in Ghana: Source apportionment, exposure and health risks. Journal of Hazardous Materials.  419 (2021) 126353
  2. Issah I,  Arko-Mensah J, Rozek LS, Zarins KR.,  Agyekum TP, Dwomoh D, Basu N,   Batterman S,  Robins TG , Fobil JN (2021) Global DNA (LINE-1) methylation is associated with lead exposure and certain job tasks performed by electronic waste workers. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. Pub Date : 2021-06-20 , DOI: 10.1007/s00420-021-01733-8
  3. Acquah A.A, D’Souza C., Martin B, Arko-Mensah J., Quakyi I.A, Basu N., Robins T.G, & Fobil J.N. (2021) Work-Related Exposures and Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms Among Informal E-Waste Recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. In: Black N.L., Neumann W.P., Noy I. (eds) Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021). IEA 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 222. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_93
  4. Fobil J.N., Abotsi P., Acquah A.A., Arko-Mensah J., D’Souza C., Martin B. (2021) Occupational and Environmental Health Effects of Informal Electronic Waste Recycling – A Focus on Agbogbloshie, Ghana. In: Black N.L., Neumann W.P., Noy I. (eds) Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021). IEA 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 222. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74611-7_102
  5. D’Souza C., Martin B., Fobil J.N., Todd A., Gomes J.O. (2021) Musculoskeletal Disorders in Unstructured, Unregulated Work: Assessment Methods and Injuries. In: Black N.L., Neumann W.P., Noy I. (eds) Proceedings of the 21st Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2021). IEA 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 222. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007 
  6. Takyi SA, Basu N, Arko-Mensah J, Dwomoh D,  Houessionon KG, Fobil J.N. (2021) Biomonitoring of metals in blood and urine of electronic waste (E-waste) recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Chemosphere. 280 (2021) 130677. Available online 27 April 2021, 130677
  7. Houessionon MGK, Ouendo, E-MD, Bouland C, Takyi SA, Kedote NM, Fayomi B, Fobil JN & Basu N (2021) Environmental Heavy Metal Contamination from Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Recycling Activities Worldwide: A Systematic Review from 2005 to 2017. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 3517. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073517
  8. Sly PD, Trottier BA, Bulka CM, Cormier SA, Fobil JN, Fry RC, Kim K-W, Kleeberger S, Kumar P, Landrigan PJ, Carlsen KCL, Pascale A, Polack F, Ruchirawat M, Zar HJ & Suk WA (2021) The interplay between environmental exposures and COVID-19 risks in the health of children. Environmental Health (2021) 20:34 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-021-00716-z
  9. Houessionon MGK, Basu N, Bouland C, Kedote NM, Fayomi B, Fobil JN, & Ouendo E-M (2021) Knowledge, Practices, and Environmental and Occupational Health Risks Associated with Electronic Waste Recycling in Cotonou, Benin. Occupational Diseases and Environmental Medicine, 9, 33-48. https://doi.org/10.4236/odem.2021.92004
  10. Acquah, A.A., D’Souza, C., Martin, B. J., Arko-Mensah, J., Dwomoh, D., Nti, A.A. A., Kwarteng, L., Takyi, S. A., Basu, N., Quakyi, I.A., Robins, T.G., Fobil, J.N. Musculoskeletal Disorder Symptoms among Workers at an Informal Electronic-Waste Recycling Site in Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021 Feb; 18(4): 2055
  11. Acquah, A.A., D'souza, C., Martin, B., Arko-Mensah, J., Botwe, P.K., Tettey, P., Dwomoh, D., Nti, A.A., Kwarteng, L., Takyi, S., Quakyi, I.A., Robins, T.G., Fobil, J.N. (2021). A Preliminary Assessment of Physical Work Exposures Among Electronic Waste Workers at Agbogbloshie, Accra Ghana. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 82 (2021) 103096.
  12. Oloruntoba E, Gurusa O, Omokhodion F, Fobil JN, Basu N, Arko-Mensah J, Robin TG (2021) Spatial distribution of heavy metals and pollution of environmental media around a used lead-acid battery recycling center in Ibadan, Nigeria. Journal of Health & Pollution (2021). Vol. 11, No. 29

  13. Laskaris Z,  Batterman SA, Arko-Mensah J, Mukherjee B, Fobil JN, O'Neill MS, & Robins TG (2021) Opportunities and challenges in reducing personal inhalation exposure to air pollution among electronic waste recovery workers in Ghana. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Feb 1. doi: 10.1002/ajim.23229.

  14. Kanhai G, Fobil JN, Nartey BA, Spadaro JV, Mudu P (2021) Urban Municipal Solid Waste management: Modeling air pollution scenarios and health impacts in the case of Accra, Ghana. Waste Management, 123 (2021) 15–22

  15. Dwomoh D, Iddi S, Adu B, Aheto JM, Sedzro KM, Fobil JN & Bosomprah S (2021) Mathematical modeling of COVID-19 infection dynamics in Ghana: Impact evaluation of integrated government and individual level interventions. Infectious Disease Modelling 6 (2021) 381-397

  16. Takyi SA, Basu N, Arko-Mensah J, Dwomoh D, Amoabeng-Nti AA, Kwarteng L, Acquah AA, Robins TG, & Fobil JN (2020b) Micronutrient status of electronic waste recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020, 17, 9575

  17. Acquah, A.A., D’Souza, C., Martin, B., Arko-Mensah, J., Nti, A.A., Kwarteng, L., Takyi, A., Botwe, P.K., Tettey, P., Dwomoh, D., Quakyi, I.A., Robins, T.G., Fobil, J.N. (2020). Development of an observation-based tool for ergonomic exposure assessment in informal electronic waste recycling and other unregulated non-repetitive work. Proceedings of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. . 2020 December ; 64(1): 905–909
  18. Rodríguez-Saldana V., Fobil  JN. &  Basu N. (2020) Lead (Pb) exposure assessment in dried blood spots using Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF).  Environmental Research. Available online 10 November 2020, 110444
  19. Bawua A.S. A.,  Ichihara K., Keatley R., Mensah J., Dei-Adomakoh Y.,  Ayeh-Kumi P.F., Erasmus RT, & Fobil JN (2020) Establishing Ghanaian adult reference intervals for hematological parameters controlling for latent anemia and inflammation. International Journal of Laboratory Hematology. 2020; 42:705–717. https://doi. org/10.1111/ijlh.13296
  20. Kwarteng L, Acquah EB, Fobil JN, Arko-Mensah J, Robins TG,  Batterman S (2020) Air Quality Impacts at an E-Waste Site in Ghana   using Flexible, Moderate-Cost and Quality-Assured Measurements. GeoHealth. 07 July 2020’ https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GH000247
  21. Takyi SA, Basu N, Arko-Mensah J, Botwe P, Amoabeng-Nti AA, Kwarteng L, Acquah A, Tettey P, Dwomoh D, Batterman S, Robins TG, Fobil JN (2020) Micronutrient-rich dietary intake is associated with a reduction in the effects of particulate matter on blood pressure among electronic waste recyclers at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. BMC Public Health. (2020) 20:1067. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09173-8
  22. Kaifie, A., T. Schettgen, J. Bertram, K. Lohndorf, S. Waldschmidt, M.K. Felten, T. Kraus, J.N. Fobil, T. Kupper (2020) Informal e-waste recycling and plasma levels of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs) - A cross-sectional study at Agbogbloshie, Ghana. Sci Total Environ, 2020. 723: p. 138073.
  23. Yang, J, J. Bertram, T. Schettgen, P. Heitland, D. Fischer, F. Seidu, M.K. Felten, T. Kraus, J. N. Fobil, A. Kaifie (2020) Arsenic burden in e-waste recycling workers – a cross-sectional study at the Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site, Ghana. Chemosphere, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127712
  24. Fischer, D., F. Seidu, J. Yang, M.K. Felten, C. Garus, T. Kraus, J.N. Fobil, A. Kaifie (2020) Health Consequences for E-Waste Workers and Bystanders-A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020. 17(5).
  25. Amoabeng Nti, A.A., J. Arko-Mensah, P.K. Botwe, D. Dwomoh, L. Kwarteng, S.A. Takyi, A.A. Acquah, P. Tettey, N. Basu, S. Batterman, T.G. Robins, J.N. Fobil (2020), Effect of Particulate Matter Exposure on Respiratory Health of e-Waste Workers at Agbogbloshie, Accra, Ghana. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020. 17(9).
  26. Dai Q, Xu, X, Eskenazi B, Asante KA, Chen A, Fobil JN, Bergman Å, Brennan L, Sly PD, Nnorom IC, Pascale P, Wang Q, Zeng EY, Zeng Z, Landrigan PJ,  Bruné M-N. D,  Huo X (2020) Severe dioxin-like compound (DLC) contamination in e-waste recycling areas: An under-recognized threat to local health. Environment International. Vol. 139, June 2020, 105731.
  27. Adusei AA, Arko-Mensah J, Dzodzomenyo M, Stephens JK, Amoabeng AA, Waldschmidt S, Löhndorf K, Agbeko KM, Kaifie A, Felten M, Kraus T, Küpper T, Fobil JN (2020) Spatiality in Health: the Distribution of Health Conditions Associated with Electronic Waste Processing Activities at Agbogbloshie, Accra. Annals of Global Health 2020 Mar 18;86(1):31. doi: 10.5334/aogh.2630. PMID: 32211301; PMCID: PMC7082828.
  28. Laskaris Z, Milando C, Batterman S, Mukherjee B, Basu N, O’neill MS, Robins TG, Fobil JN (2019) Derivation of Time-Activity Data Using Wearable Cameras and Measures of Personal Inhalation Exposure among Workers at an Informal Electronic-Waste Recovery Site in Ghana. Annals of Work Exposures and Health, Volume 63, Issue 8, October 2019, Pages 829–841, https://doi.org/10.1093/annweh/wxz056

Ongoing Projects

Title Role on the ProjectDuration of the Project Funder

1/2-The West Africa-Michigan CHARTER II for GEOHealth-Ghana: Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GeoHealth) Research (U01)

 

Principal Investigator2020–2021US-NIH/FIC
Partnership for Enhancing Skills Training for Sustained Economic Growth in Ghana (PESTSEGG)Principal Investigator2018– 2022Tullow Ghana Ltd
1/2-The West Africa-Michigan CHARTER II for GEOHealth-Ghana: Hubs of Interdisciplinary Research and Training in Global Environmental and Occupational Health (GeoHealth) Research (U01/U2R)Principal Investigator2015– 2020US-NIH/FIC & IDRC

Completed Projects

TitleRole on the ProjectDuration of the Project Funder
Partnership for Enhancing Capacities in Occupational & Environmental Health in GhanaPrincipal Investigator2016-2018German International Development Cooperation (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy: Assessing the New Implementation Strategy in GhanaCo-Principal Investigator

 

2015– 2016

French Agency for International Technical Expertise, Global Fund, 5%   Initiative
Integrated Assessment of Exposure to Environmental Contaminants at Agbogbloshie Electronic Wastes DumpCo-Principal Investigator2015-2016German and International Development Cooperation (Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Competence Based Training Short Course in Emergency Preparedness & Management

 

 

Principal Investigator

2014– 2016Council for Technical & Vocational Education Training (COTVET)
1/2-The West Africa-Michigan CHARTER for GEOHealth: GHANA. P20 Exploratory Grant for Planning Interdisciplinary hubs of Global environmental & Occupational health (GEOHealthCo-Principal Investigator2014– 2015National Institutes for Health/Fogarty International Center (NIH/FIC)
A mobile-phone based Electronic Health Information and Surveillance System (eHISS) for Africa: concept and pilot studyCo-Investigator2013-2016German Federal Ministry of Education (BMBF)
Network for the anti-helminthic fight and its consequences on population health (RELACS)/A Multi-national Network for Research and Intervention to reduce the burden of anemia in AfricaCo-Investigator2013– 2015French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1/2-The West Africa-Michigan CHARTER for GEOHealth: GHANA. P20 Exploratory Grant for Planning Interdisciplinary hubs of Global environmental & Occupational health (GEOHealth)Co-Principal Investigator2012– 2014National Institutes for Health/Fogarty International Center (NIH/FIC)