58 years ago IPPF recognised the pivotal role you played in establishing Planned Parenthood Association of  Ghana . It was the first  NGO in Ghana all those years ago . 

A Perspective

In April 2005 Dr Barnor was one of 10 doctors honoured for meritorious service to humanity by the Government of Ghana and the Ghana Medical and Dental Council with a Lifetime of achievement award. D.
Other winners were Dr A A Akiwumi also A General Practitioner in Private Practice, Dr Felix Konotey- Ahulu, Prof E Evans-Anfom and others.

3 Edinburgh Graduates from 1947 who contributed tremendously to Ghana Medical Association, the Medical schools and served also in diverse  . They all served terms as President. Dr Barnor was appointed first secretary after GMA was formed and the elected Doctor did not take up the post.  Thank you Edinburgh for giving us in excess of 5 Graduates to lead our Medical Association when Ghana had no Graduating Medical Students. University of Ghana Legon was established in 1948. The UGMS was first planned in 1919 but was founded in 1962 when it took its first students .

Dr Barnor during his Presidency lead a delegation to Europe and successfully recruited Ghanaian doctors. Some of the Doctors from the cohort were selected and sponsored for further studied. Several were appointed to come and teach in the Medical School in Korle Bu. Prof Adjepong- Yamoah also a graduate from Edinburgh University was appointed and led in Pharmacology.  

DR M A. Barnor        1963-1966 
Dr E. Evans-Anfom 1968- 1970 
Dr H. S. Bannerman 1970- 1974

Centre Opening day with Deputy Minister of Youth and  Employment 
Hon Frema Osei-Opare cuts the tape with Dr Barnor.  Picture from News papers  

2005 pictures

Tributes published by PPAG Ghana , IPPF African Regional Office , IPPF London Office , IPPF Kenya and Family Planning in Trinidad and Tabago all mourned with us when you passed away. The sterling work you did from 1956 when Edith Gates from USA Pathfinder visited Ghana which at the time was a Pro-natalist country, gained recognition as no one else would speak to her.  Ghana needed to increase our birth rates as in 1957 at Independence from the British, the population was only 6 million. It was a mere fraction of what had existed before the slave trade. With your Medical understanding you could see the chronic tiredness, the co-morbidities of frequent pregnancy and many deaths that mothers suffered. You saw Family Planning as a way to improve outcomes. You Dr Barnor put your neck on the line and slowly introduced the concepts and benefits to the wider Medical Fraternity, the Ghana Midwives Association and with backing of the Christian Council  you were able to pull together a team. The team worked tirelessly out of your home in Lartebiokorshie in Accra for many many years. 

Dr Barnor was laughed at the first time he discussed the concept of family planning in a meeting that was set up by the Late Dr Kwesi Bentsi-Enchil his best man in Korle-Bu. Dr Bentsi-Enchil was an Obstetrician Gynecologist who also saw the long term benefits of family planning but was too busy to devote time to Family Planning due to work pressures in Korle-Bu. Dr D B George and Prof Silas Dodu, Dr A A Armar along with the midwives helped to lay the foundations. 

Dr Barnor was the corner- stone, supported by other well meaning people  The picture below was taken in 2005.who shared his dream and passion to improve the reproductive health of Ghana through better spacing of births.

Doctor worked tirelessly with varied people including his relative Mrs Rosina Konuah a Pharmacist, Dr Augustus Armar who was based in Kumasi, Mrs Gladys Azu nee Mills-Odoi an Adminstrator , Mrs Dorothy Barnor Nursing who trained in Margaret Sanger Institute to support Dr Barnor's work , Captain Mrs Elfrida Odamten and other team members. In August 1966 at a meeting the decision to form PPAG Ghana was born.  PPAG was publicly launched on 4th March 1967 at the YMCA Hall in Accra. 
Dr Barnor saw PPAG through its formative years and at the time PPAG was the first and largest NGO in Africa. He was given an award by PPAG and received a Citation from the IPPF President when he attended to deliver the Citation on the 25th Anniversary.
The picture below was taken in 2005 a few weeks before Dr Barnor was called to rest. Dr Barnor was invited to open 'PPAG Founder Centre' dedicated to and recognizing his work as a Pioneer and to the other cherished members. Hon Frema Osei-Opare cut the tape with him.
  Mrs Rosina Konuah will be 101years in the next few days. Without her foot work visiting all Doctors working in Community settings using her own car and her own petrol, the team were able to forge ahead with the ground-work and iclude them in the ground swell to support the project.

Dr Barnor's contribution in family planning is captured in a book on Pioneers in women's health & Family Planning -' Motherhood by choice' by Perdita Huston. He is one of a few men honored in the book that fought for women's health. 

Annual General Meetings of GMA were held in different locations each year. The Conference ended each year with the Dinner Dance. This is a photo of the Doctors and their Distinguished colleagues, including Professor Charles Odamten Easmon after deliberations with their distinguished colleagues. Dr Barnor on the extreme left of the picture, standing next to Dr H S Bannerman.
I am told they both regularly reminded their colleagues what the GMA constitution said so they ensured decisions which had consequences for the society they served and the belief systems at the time were also within the law.
I was told recently by a Senior colleague, 'they were always near the front and made sure the Doctors stuck to their rule book.'
In this photo they are both now Grey haired gentlemen from James Town, British Accra.  We salute your collective contributions to GMA in its formative years. 

Dr Matthew Anum Barnor and Dr Harry S. Bannerman were life long friends. It was a friendship that started in their early days at the Government Junior School in Jamestown, Accra in the then Gold Coast. They went to secondary school and left the Gold Coast for Edinburgh during the 2nd world war.  They both Graduated as Doctors in 1947 , returning to the Gold Coast to serve as Doctors and make their contribution in the task of nation building. They rose to become leaders of the Profession in the Ghana Medical Association both serving terms as President while working as Community Physicians.
Here they are as young men at an International conference, negotiation for recognition of UGMS. Dr barnor on the extreme right of the photo and Dr Bannerman on his right side.
The subsequent picture shows them both as grey haired men now still leading and serving the Profession. 

Dr Matthew Aunm Barnor & Dr  K Amoah who was the first African Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon in Korle Bu . Dr  Amoah took over the Department when Dr David died. Dr K Amoah became the Medical Administrator of Korle Bu Hospital in 1968
This Picture was taken in 1965

       I first met A/Dorothy and Uncle Anum  at a 31st December party in Cape Coast.  They  were  then my parents’ friends.  They had an adorable baby in a carrycot.      Many years later, they became our friends  (Fred and I)   From Korle Bu where we lived, It was very easy to get onto Link Road, turn 2nd left and we were in their house.  Quite often, we met other people from all walks of life, there.  One time, there was a 4-5yr old boy, sipping coca-cola and the two were carrying on  a serious tete-a-tete discussion  like  equals.  Uncle Anum’s memory was fantastic. He had a vast experience of Ghana and also information on the world activities  so conversations flowed.   Some Stories of Vengeance When setting up the clinic, he used to visit his patients in the evenings. What he did not know was, some children  had taken serious offence against his injections and  vaccinations. Uncle Anum spread his arms to hug one such boy. The boy responded by giving him a bite through his trousers!   On another occasion, a little girl on seeing him enter ‘her domain’ moved as far as she could,  showing him her thumb, said  ”Dr Barnor, okiya hie fiye fiye” This was a girl from a home where she was not supposed to hear such insults, let alone say that to a very respected person.  You can imagine the parents’ embarrassment!  He loved them all.
Many years later, when professionals were striking against  Acheampong’s Military government, President  Acheampong  invited the members of the Medical and Dental Council  to a meeting, expecting the members to order the doctors to go back to work. After Acheampong had spoken  there was a little silence, the first to speak was Uncle Anum.  Cool, relaxed and unhurriedly, told Acheampong to his face  that what the people were saying was that he Acheampong should step down!  What followed?   Free for all.

     We were having lunch with Uncle Anum and some friends. I started telling them about  the first time I met them.   Suddenly Uncle Anum blurted-- he was working when a school girl ( that was me)  finished school, studied medicine, married with fairly grown children and he was still working?  No!  he was going to retire and retire he did.

Having done so much for his country and knowing his maker, he died a very happy person.  I was not surprised when Auntie Dorothy said she realized Uncle Anum was on his last journey to eternity and she said to him “Keep that smile”.

from Maude Engmann