About
I am award-winning registered nurse, early-career researcher, and PhD candidate in Nursing at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. My work is driven by a central question: how can nurses be better positioned to improve long-term outcomes for people living with chronic conditions, particularly hypertension, in resource-constrained settings?
With over a decade of clinical experience at Tamale Teaching Hospital in Ghana, I have worked across neonatal, obstetric, and adult medical care. These experiences have shaped my commitment to patient-centred care and exposed the critical gaps in chronic disease management, particularly in underserved communities. This clinical foundation continues to inform my research and leadership.
My doctoral research focuses on developing context-specific, evidence-based guidelines to strengthen nurses’ capacity to deliver hypertension self-management support in Ghana. I am particularly interested in nurse-led interventions, health systems strengthening, and translating evidence into practice in low- and middle-income countries.
Beyond research, I serve as a senior nursing officer, where I lead patient care coordination, mentor nurses, and facilitate continuous professional development. I also contribute to research implementation as a co-principal investigator and project manager on initiatives aimed at improving blood pressure measurement accuracy.
As a 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow, I have strengthened my leadership in public management and health advocacy. I am deeply committed to mentorship and volunteerism, actively supporting young nurses and providing care to vulnerable populations through community outreach.
I am building a career as a nurse scientist committed to advancing equitable, evidence-based healthcare in Ghana and globally.
Mentions
January 29, 2026
How AI can fill gaps in Nigeria's emergency care
AI offers opportunities in Ghanaian hospitals.
Sylvia Adzitey, a registered nurse at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in Ghana, said she doesn't currently use AI in her clinical practice.
However, she is "hopeful that AI can help bridge the healthcare gap in Africa in terms of access to care, regardless of a person's location and socio-economic status."
Adzitey also serves as professional development and advocacy co-lead at the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance and said there are other gaps in healthcare that AI can fill, such as charting, which she said can be time-consuming.
July 23, 2025
NR Mandela Washington Fellows Marks Nelson Mandela Day
“We wanted to ensure that if any inmate or officer falls ill, they will be cared for in a decent environment that promotes quicker recovery. Health is a basic human right, and being imprisoned should not deny anyone of that right,” she stated.
Madam Adzitey called on other organisations, institutions, and individuals to support the Tamale Central Prison.
Daily Guide Network: https://dailyguidenetwork.com/nr-mandela-washington-fellows-marks-nelson-mandela-day/
July 18, 2025
Northern Region: Mandela Washington fellows donate to Tamale Central Prison
Sylvia Phaphali Adzitey, a Mandela Washington Fellow for 2023, noted that their activities positively impacted both the inmates and the officers and that the decision to paint the infirmary was a result of an assessment that identified the need to improve the facility.
Citi NewsRoom: https://citinewsroom.com/2025/07/northern-region-mandela-washington-fellows-donate-to-tamale-central-prison/
How AI can fill gaps in Nigeria's emergency care
AI offers opportunities in Ghanaian hospitals.
Sylvia Adzitey, a registered nurse at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in Ghana, said she doesn't currently use AI in her clinical practice.
However, she is "hopeful that AI can help bridge the healthcare gap in Africa in terms of access to care, regardless of a person's location and socio-economic status."
Adzitey also serves as professional development and advocacy co-lead at the Ghanaian-Diaspora Nursing Alliance and said there are other gaps in healthcare that AI can fill, such as charting, which she said can be time-consuming.
July 23, 2025
NR Mandela Washington Fellows Marks Nelson Mandela Day
“We wanted to ensure that if any inmate or officer falls ill, they will be cared for in a decent environment that promotes quicker recovery. Health is a basic human right, and being imprisoned should not deny anyone of that right,” she stated.
Madam Adzitey called on other organisations, institutions, and individuals to support the Tamale Central Prison.
Daily Guide Network: https://dailyguidenetwork.com/nr-mandela-washington-fellows-marks-nelson-mandela-day/
July 18, 2025
Northern Region: Mandela Washington fellows donate to Tamale Central Prison
Sylvia Phaphali Adzitey, a Mandela Washington Fellow for 2023, noted that their activities positively impacted both the inmates and the officers and that the decision to paint the infirmary was a result of an assessment that identified the need to improve the facility.
Citi NewsRoom: https://citinewsroom.com/2025/07/northern-region-mandela-washington-fellows-donate-to-tamale-central-prison/
June 7, 2023
2023 Mandela Washington Fellows Heading to the United
Accra, Ghana – The U.S. Embassy is proud to announce the selection of thirty-two young Ghanaians for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) . The group includes 18 women and 14 men selected among nearly 3,000 competitive applications from across Ghana. This year’s Fellows will travel later this month for intensive professional development and leadership training in Washington, D.C., and in various cities across the United States.
December 18, 2020
SYLVIA PHAPHALI ADZITEY IS THE 2020 BEST NURSE FOR THE NORTHERN REGION
..... Tonight at the Kimpiski Hotel at exactly 5 pm, Sylvia would join other best nurses from other regions to compete for the ultimate best nurse price. This year is indeed the year of the nurse and midwife, as they are being celebrated globally for their valuable contributions to the developmental agenda of Ghana.
2023 Mandela Washington Fellows Heading to the United
Accra, Ghana – The U.S. Embassy is proud to announce the selection of thirty-two young Ghanaians for the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) . The group includes 18 women and 14 men selected among nearly 3,000 competitive applications from across Ghana. This year’s Fellows will travel later this month for intensive professional development and leadership training in Washington, D.C., and in various cities across the United States.
December 18, 2020
SYLVIA PHAPHALI ADZITEY IS THE 2020 BEST NURSE FOR THE NORTHERN REGION
..... Tonight at the Kimpiski Hotel at exactly 5 pm, Sylvia would join other best nurses from other regions to compete for the ultimate best nurse price. This year is indeed the year of the nurse and midwife, as they are being celebrated globally for their valuable contributions to the developmental agenda of Ghana.
Awards/Grants/Fellowship
Best Oral Presentation at the 7th AGSM of the Ghanaian Society of Cardiology, Tamale, February 2025
Leveraging Innovations in New Communities Grant 2024: Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Opportunities
Mandela Day Service Grant 2024: Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Opportunities
Mandela Washington Fellow, Leadership in Public Management Track at the University of Minnesota, June-August 2023.
Overall Best Poster Presentation at 1st Annual Graduate Conference, University for Development Studies, December 2021
Best Poster presentation in the category of sciences at the 1st Annual Graduate Conference, University for Development Studies, December 2021
Medical Ward One Best Nurse for the 1st Quarter of 2021
Northern Regional Best Nurse, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), 2020
Best Nurse for Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), 2020
Best Nurse for Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA), 2020