Month December 2022

In recognition of her role and sacrifice in containing the first case of the West African Ebola Virus Disease epidemic in Nigeria, Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (OON), received the first Africa CDC-DRASA Health Trust Continental Award for Emergency Health Workers on Tuesday, December 13th. The award presentation, which marked the official launch of the annual Award for Emergency Health Workers, took place during the 2nd International Conference on Public Health (CPHIA), held in Kigali, Rwanda, Africa’s land of a thousand hills. Dr. Adadevoh previously earned posthumous recognitions from the government of Nigeria–the National Productivity Order of Merit Award and the Officer of the Order of Niger Award in 2022– however this award is the first of its kind for the continent to honor African health workers who play a major role in securing our health security in the face of public health threats. An award by Africans, for Africans. Receiving the award on her behalf were DRASA’s Chairman of the Board, Mr. Bankole Cardoso and Managing Director, Niniola Williams. Presenting the award at the event, Dr. Ouma Ahmed Ogwell, Acting Director of the Africa CDC, appreciated the efforts of Dr. Adadevoh and highlighted that the initiative of recognizing and rewarding emergency health workers will continue to take place yearly, through a series of careful nominations and selections. “This award is named after Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, a Nigerian physician, who in 2014, during the devastating Ebola outbreak in W. Africa, managed the first patient in Nigeria, got infected in the process, and died. Succumbing to the disease, in her words she said it was ‘For the greater public good’. There is no greater sacrifice than giving your life knowingly so that you can protect 200 million Nigerians and over 1 billion Africans… We at Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) have decided […]