Dr Babatunde Osotimehin: Relentless advocate of primary healthcare

Dr Babatunde Osotimehin is a known name in the health sector within and outside the shores of Africa. YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE writes on his exploits as a public health expert.

 

Dr Babatunde Osotimehin is a source of pride to the people of Southwest Nigeria and indeed the medical world across the African continent and beyond. This is not surprising however considering his exploits in the public health sector and numerous contributions towards ensuring the health sector in Nigeria operates at the specified international standards.

67 year old Osotimehin, born on February 6, 1949, is one of the medical experts that have lifted the Nigerian name among their peers outside the shores of the country as the Ogun State indigene has made himself continually relevant in the health sector and continues to contribute his quota through service.

He is a physician and public health expert and is currently the fourth Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), having been appointed on November 19, 2010 for a four-year term in office and assumed position on January 1, 2011. For his reforms that brought about increased effectiveness and efficiency as well as clear vision in improving the lives of women and youths across Africa and the world, he was given a second term in office which commenced in 2015.

He presently is an Under- Secretary –General of the United Nations, a laudable feat attained by few and has before now been a force to reckon with in the Nigerian health sector – he was the Provost, College of Medicine in the university of Ibadan from 1990-1994, he was a professor of clinical pathology in the college of medicine in the University of Ibadan in 1980 and the Chairman of the committee of presidential advisers of AIDS Watch Africa.

He was the Vice President of the 14th International conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) in 2005, Chairman of project governing board of the joint regional HIV/AIS project in Abidjan-Lagos transport corridor between 2003 -2008, Project Manager for the world bank assisted  HIV/AIDS programme development project 2002-2008, the Director General of the Nigerian National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) between July 2002 – 2007 from where he became the Africa Spokesperson, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child health as well as the Minister of Health in Nigeria between December 17, 2008 – 17 March, 2010.

He chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Demographic Dividend and co-chairs the Family Planning 2020 reference Group while serving in various advisory boards and councils; he is a member of the Royal College of Physicians in UK, fellow in endocrinology, Cornell University Graduate School of Medicine in New York, fellow of Nigerian Academy of Sciences, visiting fellow of the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies and member of  Population Association of America.

The medical expert is also a distinguished visitor and member of the International Advisory Group on population and reproductive health at the John D and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago as well as a member of the Nigerian Medical Association and Nigerian Institute of management to mention just a few.

Dr Osotimehin is an accomplished international figure and leader as well as advocate of public health, women empowerment and young people. He is passionate about youth and gender issues in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights including population development. He has continually steered UNFPA’s humanitarian activities towards eliminating gender based violence and other harmful practices.

His background in health and medicine has helped him in his chosen cause in support of women and adolescents as well as in creating an effective framework that makes it easy for the robust vision of UNFPA to be achievable. For him, humility, sensitivity and understanding are vital ingredients of a successful society.

Dr Osotimehin believes that humility, cultural sensitivity and understanding are the keys to engaging people and facilitating change. “Humility to engage with other person of the other community in such a way that they know that you respect them is crucial,” he said.

He also believes that as the world moves towards a new universal, transformative and integrated agenda, it is so important that the world community recognizes the role that young people can play in solving major challenges of development.

“Indeed, the window is now open for many young economies of Africa and Asia to accelerate economic growth as large cohorts of young people enter working age and represent a large proportion of working age people with lower fertility and fewer dependants,” he said adding that “ this hope and optimism must be tempered by the sober reality that young people need tangible investments to transform the economy and the world is failing far too many young people especially but not only in developing countries.”

In spite of his laudable achievements, Dr Osotimehin is however not resting on his oars as he continues to strive for a better life for the womenfolk. He believes that Africa today still bears the largest burden of maternal mortality in the world and thinks this should be curbed.

“So the implication of this is that we need to do far more work to stop women dying while giving birth,” Osotimehin said.

Indeed, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin is a medical icon in his own class within and outside the shores of Africa.