Operation STORM, a project of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), was awarded the Health Promotion Campaign Award on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, during the opening ceremony of the 84th World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Montreal, Canada.
The campaign, which tackles the escalating crisis of substance and opioid misuse among teenagers, has reached more than 17 high schools across Ghana over the past two years. It offers structured educational interventions, large‑scale seminars, interactive sessions, one‑on‑one mentoring for vulnerable students, professional referral pathways, and four televised episodes on five national stations.
Pharmacists nationwide have served as educators, mentors, counsellors and public‑health advocates, expanding the profession’s role beyond the pharmacy counter.
Dr Paul Owusu Donkor, president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, said the international recognition validates pharmacists’ contribution to public health. “This award is a profound honour for the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana and, more importantly, a validation of a simple conviction we have long held that pharmacists belong on the front line of public health,” he remarked.
He added, “Operation STORM was born out of urgency. Our teenagers are facing a substance and opioid crisis that classrooms alone cannot solve, and pharmacists across Ghana have stepped forward as educators, mentors, and advocates to meet that urgency.”
PSGH will continue to expand this community‑rooted model of preventive care, thanking FIP for spotlighting what the profession can achieve when it takes a leadership role.
