The Dodowa Health Research Centre (DHRC) was created, in 1990, as a satellite research station by the Ghana Government with the help from the British Overseas Development Agency (now DFID). It was set up to serve the southern Ghana belt, with the mandate to conduct health research with the aim of guiding policy and decision making within the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The DHRC is headquartered in then Dangme West district now the Shai Osudoku and Ningo Prampram Districts of the greater Accra region of Ghana. The Centre has a specialization in Malaria Operations, Maternal and Child Health, population studies, Communicable and Non Communicable Diseases, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Health Systems with a special focus on Implementation Research. In 2005, the DHRC set up a Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) which covers an area of 1,528.9 square kilometers.

DHRC has Staff strength of One Hundred and Forty four (144), made up of Social Scientists like Medical Anthropologist, Sociologists, Public Health Specialists, Demographers, Medical statisticians and Data Management, Financial and Accounting Professionals, Medical Practitioners and Biological Scientists.