Amazing women in public health

Throughout history, women have played a massive role as important public health figures across the globe. Whether on the frontlines or working behind the scenes, women in public health have moved nations and the world forward, working hard to improve the safety of communities through education, policy and prevention.

In many sectors in Nigeria, there is a considerable lack of female presence at the helm of affairs, and the health sector is no exception.

Even though women in the health workforce constitute over 60% of the health workforce, the majority of these women in the workforce are concentrated by weight in informal, low-status and low-paid “care” roles. Nigerian women have a less equitable representation in the sought-after and consequential professional and leadership positions.

Even though there is still much to do, we are fortunate to have a model of these amazing and empowering women in public health from which we can be inspired:

Dora Akunyili

Prof. Dora Nkem Akunyili (OFR) was born in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria on the 14th of July 1954 to Chief & Mrs Paul Young Edemobi. She was a devout Catholic and was happily married to Dr. J.C. Akunyili, a Medical Practitioner and they were
blessed with six children and three grandchildren. Her hobbies included reading, writing, cooking and travelling. She spoke Igbo and English fluently.

She died in an India Hospital on June 7, 2014 after a long battle with Cancer at the age of 59 years.

Prof. Akunyili, was an internationally renowned Pharmacist, Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned Administrator, and a visionary leader.

She has served her country in numerous strategic positions including as Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Federal Minister of Information and Communication.

As the Honourable Minister, Prof. Akunyili anchored the Re-branding Nigeria Project driven by the slogan, Nigeria Good People, Great Nation.

The programme was conceived as an internal process to address Nigeria?s negative image both at home and abroad. Dora has proved her versatility in all areas of human endeavour as she also ventured into politics when she aspired to serve her own people in Anambra State as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

She has gained both local and international recognition and has won numerous awards for her work in pharmacology, public health and human rights.

After her appointment as Director General of NAFDAC in April 2001, Dora Akunyili?s major aim and priority was to eliminate counterfeit drugs and unsafe food.

Prior to her tenure at NAFDAC, fake and substandard foods and drugs were sold in Nigeria without any form of regulation. She was disheartened that Nigerians were using fake drugs to fight deadly diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, with no result. Although Dora Akunyili faced a major threat to her personal safety and her life in her struggle to combat the issue of fake drugs, she never relented, she was courageous to the end of her tenure as the NAFDAC boss.

Dr. Tochi Okwor

We cannot talk about incorporating Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)–which are vital indicators for any nation’s health security–into our health facilities in Nigeria, without mentioning one name. Dr. Tochi Okwor chairs Nigeria’s AMR Coordination Committee and heads the IPC Unit of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. In these roles, she leads Nigeria’s efforts to build a sustainable capacity to prevent, detect and respond to healthcare associated infections including those caused by drug resistant organisms.

Dr. Tochi’s leadership experience is one to look out for. She has played a pioneering role in the institutionalization of AMR and IPC in Nigeria through her involvement in policy development, human resources mapping, technical content development and resource mobilization.

Additionally, she leads the IPC Pillar of the Technical Working Group of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Nigeria. She also leads the IPC Pillar of the National COVID-19 Emergency Operations Centre at the NCDC. She is a member of the WHO Health Emergencies Program COVID-19 guidelines development group of experts and at the continental level, Dr. Tochi co-chairs the IPC Technical Working Group of the Africa Task Force for Novel Coronavirus.

Dr. Tochi advocates that health security is possible when women are empowered to make decisions at home and at work.

Dr Blossom Adaeze Maduafokwa

Blossom Maduafokwa academic journey began at the University of Nigeria, where she attained her medical degree. After a foray into private medical practice, she pursue a Master’s in Business Administration at Pan African University.

At the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, she pursued a Master’s in Public Health.

At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where she was the deputy Chief Registrar. She was part of the team that was dispatched to contain the measles outbreak in Lagos State in 2022 through mass vaccinations and other public health strategies. She also provided health education and risk communication during the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Lagos State.

She is a true Nigerian hero whose dedication to healthcare and advocacy for Indigenous women left a mark on Nigerian history. Born in September 26th 1970 to a Royal family, Blossom used her unique perspective as a woman of color to champion healthcare reform in her own community. She traveled throughout the region providing health care instruction and education and inspiring hundreds of Indigenous people with her positive messages about health, politics, and justice.

Her commitment extended beyond the healthcare field. She realized the best way to change the standards of health and sanitation among tribal members in Nigeria.

Her fitness hub (Blossom’s Fitness Hub) Is a conventional gym model, emphasizing not only physical health but also the joy and camaraderie that can be found in the journey to well-being and is one of the largest fitness club franchises by number of members and locations in Nigeria.

Additionally, she is a tireless advocate of preventive health initiatives that focused on improving health outcomes among women—emphasizing the importance of breast cancer screenings, and reproductive health services such as cervical cancer prevention. Blossom Maduafokwa deserves immense recognition for her lifetime achievements in the field of health care. To this day, she remains a respected leader within healthcare circles in Nigeria.

Professor Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan

Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan is a Professor of Paediatric Dentistry at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun State Nigeria. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and another in Education Administration and Leadership.

She also holds the Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons. She belongs to various professional organization, has bagged several travel scholarships, and has been a beneficiary of multiple research and project grants. She has served as Consultant to multiple national and internationally organisations, and in editorial capacity for many high impact factor health related journals. She is a member of multiple research groups, has authored and edited more than 15 books and book chapters and over 250 journal articles. She has an excellent track record of working with the community for the community to amplify the voices of stigmatised, key and vulnerable populations. Her most recent work is exploring the integration of oral, mental, sexual and reproductive health for adolescents.