Pediatric Public Health: How much are we doing for the children?

Whenever I start to think about pediatric health care in Nigeria, my thoughts quickly veer toward obstetrics, neonatal care and immunization. The host of baby formula and child immunization campaigns has seen some success, evident in the steady improvement in infant mortality rates. UNICEF statistics indicate that Under-5 mortality rates in Nigeria have declined by 35% since 1990 and by 27% since 2000. In addition, about 74% of routine vaccines were funded by the government in 2009. These numbers, although far from being perfect, suggest that we are moving in the right direction with infant health care.

The question then is what happens after infancy? What are these under-5 statistics hiding that statistics about different age groups (say under-10 or 5-15yrs) would expose? A recent interview with Dr. Efunbo Dosekun in The Guardian newspaper hints at inconsistencies in continuity of care for Nigerian pediatric patients. Dosekun, the Chief Medical Director at Outreach Children’s Hospital, Lagos believes that Nigeria has focused a little too much on immunization and neonatal care, what she describes as “public health initiative.” In her words,

“We seem to have forgotten that if you save a child from having diarrhea with an immunization, there are still other illnesses he/she has not been immunized against […] It makes more sense to prevent first and then put into place centers where the child can go when he/she falls sick.”

In the rest of the interview, Dosekun points out that even with our immunization programs, Nigeria’s overall child mortality statistics are dismal. One in six children does not make it to adulthood, putting us at par with many war torn countries. Of those who survive, the number that are significantly disabled as a result of childhood illnesses is staggering. The 48 year life expectancy of the average Nigerian is further testament to the fact that many children will not lead full, fruitful lives. Is this the best that Nigeria can do?

President Obama Taps ANPA Member, Dr. Funmi Olopade, for Key White House Post

Olufunmilayo Falusi Olopade, MD, FACP

Nigerian-born Chicagoan and ANPA member, Olufunmilayo Falusi Olopade, MD, FACP, has been appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Cancer Advisory Board. The Board advises the administration with respect to the activities of the National Cancer Institute, including reviewing and recommending for support grants and cooperative agreements, following technical and scientific peer review.

Dr. Olopade is an alumnus of the University of Ibadan College of Medicine, Ibadan, Nigeria, where she received the MBBS degree in 1980. News of her appointment has set off jubilation among ANPA members who hold her as one of the organization's shining stars. ANPA President, Dr. Fiemu Nwariaku congratulated Dr. Olopade for her great achievement and expressed gratitude to President Obama for an appointment that he said was clearly based on merit. According to Dr. Nwariaku, this is a fine example of the contribution that thousands of Nigerian-born physicians are making to improve the health of their fellow citizens.

Also, the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association, (ICOMAA) through it's president, Dr. Benedictus Ajayi, released a statement praising Dr. Olopade for doing her home country proud and  for flying "an unstained Nigerian flag". Dr. Olopade, he added, "has never forgotten her roots .... and has continued to work relentlessly to ensure that our Alma Mater becomes one of the world's best".

In naming her to this top administration post, the White House released the following citation:

Olufunmilayo Falusi Olopade is the Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine & Human Genetics, Associate Dean for Global Health, and Director of the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics at the University of Chicago. She is also a practicing clinician and Director of the University's Cancer Risk Clinic. In her clinical work, Dr. Olopade is an authority on cancer risk assessment, prevention, and individualized treatment based on risk factors and quality of life. She also works with educators, doctors, government officials and pharmaceutical companies to improve access to quality education and medical care in low-income communities. Dr. Olopade has received numerous professional honors and awards, including the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, the ASCO Young Investigator Award, the James S. McDonnell Foundation Scholar Award, and the Doris Duke Distinguished Clinical Scientist Award, among others. She holds an M.B.B.S. from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, completed her residency in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in hematology and oncology at the University of Chicago.

Meet our Bloggers, Chinyere Anyaogu, MD, MPH

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Chinyere Anyaogu has joined our blogging team. Dr. Anyaogu attended Federal Government College, Warri and subsequently received her medical training at the University of Nigeria.

She received dual sub-specialty training in Internal Medicine and OBGYN at the Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Also, Dr. Anyaogu Subsequently completed a Master in Public Health  at Columbia University and has a special interest in maternal mortality.

Dr. Anyaogu practices OBGYN and is currently the Medical Director of the Women's Care Center, Huntersville, NC. She is an active ANPA member, in the Carolinas chapter. Her blog posts will focus on women's health, maternal issues, and work life balance.

Rapid Recall for the Internal Medicine Boards by Dr. Chinedu Ivonye, ANPA Member

A new book, Rapid Recall for the Internal Medicine Boards, by ANPA member Chinedu Ivonye MD, FACP, billed as "a powerful tool to help you ace the boards", has just been released by CreateSpace Publishers. The book is intended for use by candidates preparing for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) certification examinations.

Dr. Ivonye is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. He also serves as the Associate Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency Program, the Director of Primary Care, and the Chief of Ambulatory Services at Morehouse.

The book is the culmination of several years devoted to teaching and development of curricula for residents and medical students. Dr. Ivonye's passion for teaching has received wide recognition, including The J. Willis Hurst, M.D. Award presented by the Georgia chapter of the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Chinedu Ivonye

His motivation for writing the book, Dr. Ivonye told The ANPA Blog, was "to help the candidates preparing for the ABIM focus on the high yield materials". He added that "my experience over the years with residents has shown me that even the most intelligent candidates still need to focus on the high yield materials for the ABIM".

ABIM is one of 24 medical specialty boards that make up the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Through ABMS, the boards work together to establish common standards for physicians to achieve and maintain board certification. ABIM certification is regarded as evidence that that internists have demonstrated – to their peers and to the public – that they have the clinical judgment, skills and attitudes essential for the delivery of excellent patient care.

The book is available here on Amazon.

ANPA Member Named Chief of Neurosurgery

Dr. Wale Sulaiman, MD, PhD

ANPA member, Dr. Wale Sulaiman, has been named Chairman of Neurosurgery at the Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, Louisiana, part of the Ochsner Clinic Foundation, effective July 1, 2011.  

Dr. Sulaiman's medical career began at the Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria, where he completed a combined MD/MSc degree. His interests in Nerve and Spinal cord injury and regeneration research led him to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada where he also completed a PhD in Neurosciences. He completed his Neurosurgery residency at University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and is board-certified in Neurosurgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He also completed clinical fellowships in complex nerve reconstruction at Louisiana State University and complex spine surgery at Medical College of Wisconsin.

In addition to his clinical expertise, Dr. Sulaiman has extensive research experience in both nerve and spinal cord injury and regeneration, and has authored several peer reviewed publications and book chapters in these areas and serves as a Reviewer for many neurosurgery and neuroscience journals.

In announcing the appointment, Dr. Richard Guthrie, Regional Medical Director (New Orleans) for the Ochsner Clinic Foundation  noted that Dr. Sulaiman has been "a strong presence in Neurosurgery" since he joined Ochsner in 2008. Also he complemented Dr. Sulaiman for helping to establish and serving as the the Medical Director of the Ochsner Spine Center.