1. Who we are
The Medical Scientists Society of Ghana (“MSSG”, “the Society”, “we”) is the professional body for Biochemists and Biological Scientists in health, bio-medical science and industry in Ghana. MSSG is the data controller for the personal data collected through www.mssg-ghana.org (“the website”), including its member dashboard and membership application.
We handle personal data in line with Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). Where members or visitors are located outside Ghana, we also aim to meet the standards of comparable laws such as the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. What we collect
Account and sign-in
- Email and password: your email address and a password you choose. Passwords are handled by our sign-in provider, Clerk, and stored only in hashed form. MSSG never sees or stores your password.
- Sign in with Google: if you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google. We never receive or store your Google password.
- Profile: details you add on your dashboard, such as profile photo, institution, role, short bio, phone number and LinkedIn link.
Membership application
When you apply for membership, we collect what you enter in the application form:
- Personal details: title, full name, date of birth, sex, marital status and nationality.
- Contact details: residential address, GhanaPost GPS address, postal address, and primary and secondary phone numbers.
- Education and work: highest educational level, degrees and institutions, other qualifications, current and previous places of work and positions held.
- Membership: membership type (full, student or national service), other professional associations and how you heard about MSSG.
- Referee:your referee's name, position, town, phone number and email. Please tell your referee before you share their details with us.
- Documents: passport photo, certificates and, for students and national service personnel, a student ID card.
- Consent record: the date and time you agreed to the statement of consent.
Payments
Registration fees and annual dues are paid through Paystack. We store the transaction reference, amount, currency, payment method type (for example Mobile Money or card), status and the time of payment. We do not receive or store card numbers, CVVs, Mobile Money PINs or bank login details.
Messages and newsletter
- Contact form:your name, email address and message. These are emailed to the Society's inbox so we can reply.
- Newsletter: your email address and when you subscribed, plus a record if you unsubscribe so we stop emailing you.
Technical data
Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically records basic technical data such as IP address, browser type and the pages requested, for security and to keep the site running. We do not use advertising trackers.
3. How we use your data
- To create and secure your account and keep you signed in.
- To assess your membership application, verify your qualifications and eligibility, and contact your referee where needed.
- To process registration fees and dues and keep payment records.
- To maintain the Society's register of members and track membership and dues status.
- To send you service emails (application decisions, payment confirmations, welcome messages) and dashboard notifications.
- To send Society announcements and newsletters. You can unsubscribe from these at any time using the link in each email.
- To reply to messages sent through the contact form.
- As stated in the membership statement of consent, for statistical and educational purposes by the Society. Where we publish or share statistics, they are aggregated so that no individual can be identified.
- To protect the website and our members against fraud and misuse, and to meet our legal obligations.
We rely on your consent (for example the membership statement of consent and newsletter sign-up), the need to provide the membership service you asked for, our legitimate interests in running the Society, and legal obligations such as keeping financial records.
4. Who we share it with
We never sell, rent or trade your personal data. Within MSSG, application details and documents are seen only by the membership committee and authorised executives who need them.
We use these trusted service providers to run the website. Each processes data only to provide its service to us:
| Provider | Purpose |
|---|
| Clerk | Account sign-up, sign-in and session security |
| Google | “Sign in with Google” (only if you choose it); map on the Contact page |
| Paystack | Processing registration fees and dues (Mobile Money and cards) |
| Vercel | Website hosting and storage of uploaded files (photos, certificates, ID cards) |
| Turso | Database hosting for member, application and payment records |
| Resend | Sending emails (notifications, contact form messages, newsletters) |
Some of these providers store data on servers outside Ghana. Where that happens, we choose providers that apply recognised security standards and contractual protections for personal data.
We may also disclose information where required by law, by a court or regulator, or to protect the rights and safety of the Society, its members or the public.
5. Cookies and local storage
We use only essential cookies needed for the website to work, mainly the sign-in cookies set by Clerk that keep you logged in securely. The website can also be installed as an app on your phone, and it stores some files on your device so pages load faster.
The map on the Contact page is provided by Google Maps, which may set its own cookies when it loads. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.
6. How we protect your data
- All traffic to the website is encrypted with HTTPS (TLS).
- Passwords are hashed by Clerk and are never stored by MSSG.
- Application details and documents are only available to you and to authorised committee members and executives, who must be signed in to view them.
- Administrator access is restricted to a small number of approved executive accounts.
- Payment card and Mobile Money details are handled entirely by Paystack, a PCI-DSS certified processor.
7. How long we keep it
- Member records are kept while you are a member, and for up to 2 years after your membership ends so the Society can confirm past membership if asked.
- Unfinished applications (drafts never submitted) may be deleted after 12 months of inactivity.
- Unsuccessful applications and their documents are kept for up to 12 months after the decision, then deleted.
- Payment records are kept for 6 years to meet accounting and audit requirements.
- Newsletter subscriptions are kept until you unsubscribe. We keep a record of your opt-out so we do not email you again.
8. Your rights
Under the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), you can ask us to:
- tell you what personal data we hold about you and give you a copy;
- correct data that is wrong or incomplete (you can also edit your profile on your dashboard);
- delete your data where we no longer need it or have no legal reason to keep it;
- stop using your data for newsletters and announcements (use the unsubscribe link in any email);
- object to, or ask us to limit, how we use your data.
To make a request, email info@mssg-ghana.org from the email address linked to your account. We will respond within 21 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Data Protection Commission of Ghana (dataprotection.org.gh).
9. Children
Membership is for students, graduates and professionals. The website is not intended for children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect their personal data.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the website or the law changes. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated. If we make significant changes, we will let members know by email or on the dashboard.
11. Contact us
Questions about this policy or your data? Email info@mssg-ghana.org or use our contact page.
