Earlier this week, attendees of the latest PSI Satellite Seminar had the exciting opportunity to gain public health leadership insights from Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director-General and Deputy Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme at the World Health Organization.
Introducing the event, Dr Alice Norton, Head of PSI Policy and Practice Research Group which hosted the event, commented: “National public health institutes played significant roles in the COVID-19 pandemic response, and we are proud to welcome Dr Ihekweazu to Oxford to share his experience while leading Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control during the pandemic”.
Showcasing the launch of his new book, the talk retraced Dr Ihekweazu’s journey as inaugural Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and was followed by a Q&A led by PSI Policy Specialist and DPhil student Adebisi Adenipekun.
An Imperfect Storm is co-written with Vivianne Ihekweazu and is an account of Nigeria’s COVID-19 response from inside the NCDC. Under Dr Ihekweazu’s leadership, the organisation developed into a prominent institution well-positioned to address multiple infectious disease outbreaks.
“Although I have positioned this book in the context of the pandemic, it is really it is a book about building an institution,” said Dr Ihekweazu during the event. “In this case, an institution that prepared us, Nigeria, for the pandemic and hopefully would prepare us for many more”.
Many books about the pandemic have been written already; with An Imperfect Storm, Dr Ihekweazu aimed to establish a COVID-19 narrative out of the African continent, emphasising the role of African institutions in shaping public health action on the continent, and African leaders as co-creators of narratives.
According to Dr Ihekweazu, an oft-cited need for local manufacturing (e.g., of vaccines) cannot bolster African public health alone. Drawing from his experience, he highlighted the importance of African scientific expertise and manufacturing capacity, plus the leadership needed to take these forwards.
From delivering public health messaging to coordinating vaccine logistics, the work of national public health institutions is complex and multifaceted.
Early into his tenure, Dr Ihekweazu faced challenges such as the 2016-2017 meningitis outbreak in northwestern Nigeria, or the reemergence of yellow fever and Mpox in the country. He pointed out that newly established institutions ("just like PSI") have the opportunity to create an innovative culture and build momentum to tackle emerging challenges creatively.
In tackling such a big infectious disease burden, Dr Ihekweazu said, basic public health work became exciting, offering opportunities for young scientists to start making real impact, publish work and interact with peers within and outside Nigeria.
Dr Ihekweazu also emphasised the importance of attracting talent to African public health institutions, despite short-term challenges in talent retention. His hope is that young African scientists can benefit from international experience and find their way to contribute to the advancement of public health in Africa.
Commenting on the event, Mr Adenipekun said: “Dr Ihekweazu is one of the foremost public health leaders from Africa and an inspiration to many young Africans home and abroad”.
An Imperfect Storm: A Pandemic and the Coming of Age of a Nigerian Institution (Chikwe Ihekweazu, Vivianne Ihekweazu) is published by Masobe Books and is available to buy online.