Ghana is once again at the centre of a major international military-medical collaboration, as MEDREX 2025, a Medical Readiness Exercise led by the U.S. Army Southern Europe Task Force-Africa, enters its final days in Accra.
The initiative, running from May 5 to 23, is part of Exercise African Lion 2025, the U.S. Africa Command’s flagship military training series, which Ghana is hosting for the fourth consecutive year. The focus of this year’s engagement is to build the capacity of U.S. and Ghanaian military health professionals to deliver life-saving medical interventions in combat and austere environments.
The exercise brings together 27 American military medical experts in specialties ranging from trauma surgery, critical care, and obstetrics to dentistry and veterinary medicine, who are working alongside Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) personnel at 37 Military Hospital, the GAF Veterinary Clinic, and the Ghana National Dog Academy.
“This collaboration is not just about training. It’s about mutual learning, adapting, and enhancing how we deliver medical care under pressure,” said Lieutenant Colonel Mary Stuever, a U.S. trauma surgeon. “Being here has taught me new techniques in handling trauma with fewer resources—skills that are crucial on the battlefield.”
The U.S. participants are drawn from multiple commands, including the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Public Health Command-Europe, Dental Health Activity Rheinland-Pfalz, and the North Dakota National Guard.
For Ghanaian-American Sergeant First Class Albert Kwadwo Nimako, the mission has a personal meaning. “I see this as giving back to Ghana. It’s about learning how to sustain life in challenging conditions while strengthening bonds with fellow Ghanaian medics.”
Beyond hospital settings, the exercise included joint security cooperation operations between May 8 and 16 in Kumbungu and Tamale, demonstrating the dual focus on health and regional stability.
At a media briefing hosted at the 37 Military Hospital’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, Mr. Matthew Asada, Press Attaché at the U.S. Embassy, emphasized the long-term vision of the programme: “MEDREX is a cornerstone of our military-to-military humanitarian efforts in Africa. It fosters real-time preparedness and builds lasting trust.”
As the exercise concludes, both U.S. and Ghanaian officials are optimistic that this growing partnership will continue to elevate their shared ability to provide agile, efficient, and lifesaving care during peace and conflict.
