Joseph Bediako Asare

           Born in 1942. National of Ghana. Private Consultant and Psychiatrist.

           Medical Academy of Krakow, Poland (1965-1971); postgraduate training at Graylands and Swanbourne Psychiatric Hospitals, Perth, Australia (1976-1977); Leicestershire Area Health Authority (1977-1980). Senior Registrar in Psychiatry, West Berkshire and South Oxford Area Health Authority (1981-1982); Chief Psychiatrist, Ghana Health Service; specialist in charge at Accra Psychiatric Hospital; Chairman, Ghana Chapter, West African College of Physicians; Vice-President, West African College of Physicians (2000-2004); Advisor to the Ministry of Health of Ghana (1984-2004); member of the Narcotics Control Board of Ghana (1990-2004); Chairman, Subcommittee on Demand Reduction, Narcotics Control Board of Ghana (since 1991). Part-time lecturer in psychiatry, University of Ghana medical school (1991-2004). Faculty Fellow of the International Council on Alcohol and Addictions training programme on alcohol and drug abuse in Benin City, Nigeria (1986 and 1987); President, Psychiatric Association of Ghana (1999-2002). Member, Royal College of Psychiatrists (1980); Fellow, West African College of Psychiatrists; Fellow, Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. Author of numerous works, including: Substance Abuse in Ghana; The Problem of Drug Abuse in Ghana: a Guide to Parents and Youth (1989); Alcohol Use, Sale and Production in Ghana: a Health Perspective (1999); Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse in Deheer (1997); "Psychiatric co-morbidity of drug abuse", Assessing Standards of Drug Abuse (1993); "Baseline survey of the relationship between HIV and substance abuse in Ghana" (2004). Recipient of the Grand Medal (Civil Division) of Ghana (1997). Participant in numerous meetings, including: consultative group that developed the manual on assessment standards of care in drug abuse treatment (1990-1992); NGO World Forum on Drug Demand Reduction, Bangkok (1994); drug programme expert meeting, Cleveland, United States of America (1995); Drug Expert Forum for Western and Central Africa, Cameroon (1995); local expert meeting for Western Africa, Dakar (2003). Member of the local expert network in West Africa (LENwest) (2002-2004).

           Member of the International Narcotics Control Board (since 2005). Member of the Standing Committee on Estimates (2006). Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Administration (2007).