Charles Martyn-Dickens

I am a paediatrician by training and by calling. I got started in paediatrics and adolescent HIV care serendipitously. While Dr Anthony Enimil, the head of the HIV unit was in South Africa undergoing a fellowship program in paediatric infectious diseases, I was asked to run the clinics in his absence. It did not take long to realize the needs of patients went far beyond their HIV medication. I saw adolescents who were virally suppressed, the primary outcome in clinic, experiencing stigma and anxiety and thus was born a dedication and passion to righting this challenge. It has led to a desire for clinical care excellence as well as a desire to grow my research capacity, teaching and advocacy skills

• Specialist Paediatrician and Team Lead Pediatric HIV Clinic, 10/2018, 05/2020, I functioned as the acting lead of the Clinical Care Team for the Pediatric HIV clinic, a position I held whilst Dr Anthony Enimil, the substantive head of the Unit was away on study leave in 2018. In this role I was responsible for managing the team of doctors and nurses working in the clinic and ultimately responsible for clinical care of the clients enrolled in the clinic. I also supervise residents in pediatrics, medical officers, physician assistants and other members of the clinical team in their work, as well as served in various administrative capacities assigned.
• Country Co-PI (Ghana) Sub-Saharan Africa Consortium for the Advancement of Innovative Research and Care into Sepsis (STAIRS), Under the Research Networks for Health Innovations in Sub-Saharan Africa (RHISSA) funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), I function as the country co-lead of this study led by Dr Nathan Kenya-Mugisha of WALIMU,Uganda and nationally led by Dr John Adabie-Appiah. The ten-institution consortium is leading studies to address critical knowledge gaps in the epidemiology, diagnosis and quality care of patients requiring hospitalization for sepsis in resource-constrained areas of sub-saharan Africa.
• Clinical Research Officer , Pharmacokinetic study of HIV and TB drugs in Children(PK Study II), 01/2019, Date, In this study led by Prof Awewura Kwara of the University of Florida School of Medicine , I am responsible for identifying HIV and TB patients 3-18 years and following them up for up to a year with 3 monthly sampling to observe the pharmacokinetics of these HAART AND ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS drugs.
• Co-Investigator, Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Dolutegravir in Children Weighing 20 Kg Living with HIV with and without TB Coinfection, In this study led by Prof Awewura Kwara of the University of Florida School of Medicine , I was responsible for identifying HIV and TB patients 6-19 years after switch to Dolitegravir based HAART and following them up for up to a year with 3 monthly sampling to observe the pharmacokinetics of these HAART AND their interaction with ANTI-TUBERCULOSIS drugs.
• Clinical Team Lead , Department of Child Health COVID-19 response team, 03/2020, Date, In this clinical and administrative role , I have coordinated a directorate-wide preparedness training and implementation of COVID-19 management protocols for the Directorate of child health for both staff and patients affected.
• Clinical Research Officer, Text Message Adherence Game For Young People Living With HIV (Tag) K23 MH114632, In this study, led by Dr Nicholas Tarantino of the Brown University Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, I was responsible for identifying potential participants and moderating 3 focused group discussions of 20 participants 18-24 years in total, to generate themes for a non-web-based mobile text message game to aid adherence to HAART and to hospital appointments. I subsequently do medical reviews and coordinate needs identified as the game progresses especially medical treatment of co-morbidities, counseling and referrals.
• Clinical Research Officer, Parent Based Text Message Adherence Game For Young People Living With HIV (PTag) P30 AI042853, In this study, led by Dr Nicholas Tarantino of the Brown University Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, I was responsible for identifying potential participants and moderating 4 focused group discussions of 22 participants, 2 each of participants 12-14 years and 15-17 years as well as 4 focus group discussions of their caregivers to generate themes for a non-web-based mobile text message game to aid adherence to HAART and to hospital appointments. This was based on preliminary findings of the TAG study which will hopefully be replicated in these age groups especially with caregiver involvement.
• Clinical Site coordinator, Paediatric HIV Disclosure And Benefits Study (Phd-Bs)/ Sankofa II Study R01 HD103512, 2020, Date, In this study, led by Prof Elijah Paintsil of the Boston University school of Medicine (formerly of the Yale School of Medicine) I am responsible for coordinating the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital site; 1 of 12(6-in accra and 6 in kumasi). Recruiting 360 HIV positive participants 7 yrs -18 years who are yet to be disclosed to with regards to their serostatus. They will be followed up over 5 years pre- and post-disclosure to observe changes to medication adherence, viral load levels and hospital attendance.
• HIV Team Lead, K.A.T.H. Pediatrics-to-Adult Medicine Transition Programme, 12/2019, Date, Under the leadership of Dr Leah Ratner of the Boston Children’s Hospital Global Health Program, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Directorates of Child Health and Internal Medicine has developed a transition programme being implemented in multiple units and I have lead the pediatric transition programme since December 2019.
• Ashanti Regional Lead, Clinical Network for Paediatric Tuberculosis Management, 2021, Date, Under this initiative by the National Tuberculosis Control Programme I act as a co-ordinator and help district Tuberculosis management team members in paediatric TB diagnosis and management to reduce referrals.

• Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of adult dolutegravir tablets in treatment-experienced children with HIV weighing at least 20 kg, Martyn-Dickens C, Ojewale O, Sly-Moore E, Dompreh A, Enimil A, Amissah AK, Bosomtwe D, Frimpong Appiah A, Sarfo AD, Opoku T, Asiedu P, Dong SK, Kusi-Amponsah I, Maranchick N, Peloquin CA, Antwi S, Kwara A., AIDS, 07/15/2023, 37070558
• Adequacy of WHO weight-band dosing and fixed-dose combinations for the treatment of TB in children, Kwara A, Yang H, Martyn-Dickens C, Enimil A, Amissah AK, Ojewale O, Dompreh A, Bosomtwe D, Sly-Moore E, Opoku T, Appiah AF, Obeng R, Asiedu P, Maranchick N, Alshaer MH, Peloquin CA, Antwi S., Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 05/01/2023, 37143230
• Assessment Tools for Executive Function and Adaptive Function Following Brain Pathology Among Children in Developing Country Contexts: a Scoping Review of Current Tools, Kusi-Mensah K, Nuamah ND, Wemakor S, Agorinya J, Seidu R, Martyn-Dickens C, Bateman A., Neuropsychology Review, 2021
• A Systematic Review Of The Validity And Reliability Of Assessment Tools For Executive Function And Adaptive Function Following Brain Pathology Among Children And Adolescents In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Kusi-Mensah K, Nuamah ND, Wemakor S, Agorinya J, Seidu R, Martyn-Dickens C, Bateman A., Neuropsychol Rev
• Self-Esteem Assessment among Adolescents Living with HIV and Seeking Healthcare at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital-Kumasi, Ghana, Ebenezer Opambour Agyemang, Jonathan Mensah Dapaah, Francis Adjei Osei, Seth Christopher Yaw Appiah, Nicholas Karikari Mensah, Samuel Frimpong Odoom, Micheal Owusu-Ansah, and Charles Martyn-Dickens., Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, 2020
• Rights Based Approach to Pediatric to Adult Transition, Munyikwa M, Hammond C, Martyn-Dickens C, Owusu S, Nettey G, Warling A, Ratner L., CUGH South Africa, International Conference, 10/28/2021
• Atypical Kawasaki syndrome in COVID-19 infection: a case report of a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a child (MIS-C), Justice Sylverken, Priscilla Afari, Charles Martyn-Dickens, Sheila A. Owusu, Emmanuel Oppong, Francis Akwetey, Ekow Mensah, Haruna Mahama, Sandra K. Owusu and Sampson Antwi, Ghana Med J, 2021
• Assessment of Clinical Outcomes Among Children and Adolescents Hospitalized With COVID-19 in 6 Sub-Saharan African Countries, Jean B. Nachega, MD, PhD, MPH; Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, MD; Rhoderick N. Machekano, PhD, MPH; Helena Rabie, MBChB, PhD; Marieke M. van der Zalm, MBChB, PhD; Andrew Redfern, MBChB, MPhil; Angela Dramowski, MBChB, PhD; Natasha O’Connell, MBChB, MMed; Michel Tshiasuma Pipo, MD; Marc B. Tshilanda, MD; Liliane Nsuli Byamungu, MD, MSc; Refiloe Masekela, MBChB, PhD; Prakash Mohan Jeena, MBChB, PhD; Ashendri Pillay, MBChB; Onesmus W. Gachuno, MBChB, MMED; John Kinuthia, MBChB, MMED, MPH; Daniel Katuashi Ishoso, MD; Emmanuella Amoako, MBChB; Elizabeth Agyare, MBChB; Evans K. Agbeno, MBChB, MPH; Charles Martyn-Dickens, MBChB; Justice Sylverken, MD; Anthony Enimil, MBChB; et al., JAMA Pediatr, 03/01/2022, 35044430
• Penicillin V prophylaxis uptake among children living with sickle cell disease in a specialist sickle cell clinic in Ghana: A cross‐sectional study, Samuel F. Odoom, Sam K. Newton, Emmanuel K. Nakua, Kennedy G. Boahen, Samuel B. Nguah, Daniel Ansong, Isaac Nyanor, Evans X. Amuzu, Ernest Amanor, Francis A. Osei, Aliyu Mohammed, Nicholas K. Mensah, Charles Martyn-Dickens, Alex Osei-Akoto, Vivian Paintsil, Health Science Reports, 11/2022
• Understanding Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Young People Living with HIV in Ghana, John Paul Omuojine, Charles Martyn-Dickens, Sheila A. Owusu, Allysa Warling, Ruth Charlotte Sackey, Gustav Nettey, Evans Otieku, Anthony Enimil, Leah Ratner, African Journal of AIDS research
• Understanding Adolescent Health Care Services in Ghana: A Scoping Review, Sheila Agyeiwaa Owusu, Allysa Warling, Joshua Arthur, Charles Martyn-Dickens, Anthony Enimil, Ransford Bio, Angela Osei-Bonsu, Leah Ratner, Pan-African Medical Journal

• Title: Senior Resident, Paediatric Infectious Diseases Unit
• Date of Birth: 02/06/87
• Nationality: Ghanaian

• Prof. Daniel Ansong, School of Medical Sciences-KNUST; Consultant Paediatrician, ansongd@yahoo.com, +233 208 168 767
• Prof Sampson Antwi, Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist, Head of Directorate, kantwisampson@gmail.com, +233 265 812 061

1. NPGH LAUNCH Fogarty Fellow, University of Michigan, 07/2023, 

Mentors :Prof Cheryl A Moyer/Dr. Anthony Enimil 

2. Partnership Development Grants: University of Michigan Medical School Global REACH program, Spring 2023

Mentor:  Prof Bruno Giordani 

3. Boston Children’s Hospital Aerosmith Grant 2021/2022

Mentor: Dr Leah Ratner

Journals Reviewed :

Frontiers Child Health

Frontiers Public Health

Ghana Medical Journal

PLOS One

Ghana Cleft Foundation 

Golden Chapter Foundation 

• Ghana Medical Association
• Paediatric Society of Ghana
• Consortium of Universities in Global Health
• World Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases