Healing across borders: How Ghanaian doctor transformed public healthcare in Ondo

In the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, while nations scrambled to protect their citizens and contain the virus, a quiet but remarkable public health revolution was underway in Ondo State, Nigeria, spearheaded by an extraordinary woman working thousands of kilometers away.

Dr. Esi Mansa Aidoo, a Ghanaian-born physician and public health innovator, was not physically present in Nigeria during the pandemic, yet her influence could be felt in every corner of Ondo’s public health infrastructure. Officially engaged by the Ondo State Ministry of Health as a Public Health Consultant from April 2021 to September 2022, her interventions were not only strategic but deeply transformational.

At a time when Nigeria’s healthcare system was stretched to the brink, especially in rural communities, Dr. Aidoo delivered contextualized, remote public health solutions that revolutionized outbreak preparedness and maternal healthcare delivery in Ondo State. 

Drawing from her active experience at the Ghana Infectious Disease Center, she designed and implemented community-friendly modules for contact tracing, infection control, and outbreak response training. Her solutions reached over ten Local Government Areas, empowering health workers in even the most hard-to-reach locations.

But perhaps her most legacy lies in her unwavering commitment to maternal and child health. Amid the chaos of lockdowns and hospital restrictions, Dr. Aidoo helped Ondo State sustain access to essential maternity services, avoiding the deadly spikes in maternal and infant mortality that devastated other parts of the continent.

Beyond emergency management, Dr. Aidoo laid the groundwork for long-term health reform. Her strategic recommendations on hygiene education, disease surveillance, and digital health have been adopted into the state’s five-year health roadmap. Her tools are now standard training content in the state’s public health institutions.

Her frameworks attracted endorsement and implementation by leading global institutions such as UNICEF and the WHO. 

Moreover, she pioneered a bilateral public health diplomacy initiative between Nigeria and Ghana, facilitating cross-country knowledge sharing on epidemic readiness and rural healthcare.

Speaking on her impact, Dr. Olugbenro, the Honorable Commissioner for Health in Ondo State remarked, “Dr. Aidoo is not just a consultant, she is a transformational leader in public health. Her contribution is permanently woven into the fabric of our healthcare system.”

In a world increasingly defined by health emergencies and cross-border threats, Dr. Esi Aidoo exemplifies what 21st-century public health leadership should look like resilient, inclusive, and visionary. Her story is not just one of personal excellence but a shared triumph for the people of Ondo State, for West Africa, and for the future of global health systems.