Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » Faculty Member Appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Health
Campus News

Faculty Member Appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Health

By Nora DunneMar 30, 2016
Share
Facebook Twitter Email
While serving as Nigeria’s minister of health, Isaac Adewole, MBBS, adjunct professor of Medicine at Feinberg, will continue to collaborate with faculty in Feinberg’s Center for Global Health.
While serving as Nigeria’s minister of health, Isaac Adewole, MBBS, adjunct professor of Medicine at Feinberg, will continue to collaborate with faculty in Feinberg’s Center for Global Health.

Isaac Adewole, MBBS, adjunct professor of Medicine and a native of Nigeria, has been sworn in as the African country’s minister of health.

Formerly vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, the first medical school in Nigeria, Dr. Adewole has collaborated with faculty in Feinberg’s Center for Global Health on several studies supported by the National Institutes of Health. Since 2010, he has been a principal investigator of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, a consortium that includes Feinberg that was developed to transform medical education at the six leading medical schools in Nigeria.

Dr. Adewole has served as a physician and professor of obstetrics and gynecology for several decades in Nigeria. Through his research, he investigates methods for increasing cervical cancer screenings, decreasing unwanted pregnancies and eliminating pediatric HIV in his country.

In a recent interview, Dr. Adewole described his pathway to minister of health and some of the plans he hopes to implement through his new leadership role.

What was your reaction to being chosen minister of health? 

The appointment came as a big surprise to me! It came at a time when I was trying to wind down my activities as the vice-chancellor of the University Ibadan, a position I held since 2010. My original plan was to embark on a year leave to rest, write my memoirs and possibly engage in some mechanised farming before returning to the University to continue what I love best – teaching, research and offering medical service. Alas, I was in Canada attending the Federation of International Gynecology and Obstetrics Conference when rumor filtered in that my name had been dropped by the media as one of those being considered for a ministerial position in Nigeria. My reaction initially was disbelief, as I am neither a politician nor lobbyist. Within days, the news was all over, and it then dawned on me that this is another challenge through which I can serve my country.

What will be your main responsibilities as minister of health? 

The Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria is probably the country’s second biggest ministry after Defence, because it has numerous agencies and tertiary institutions. My main responsibility is to provide leadership, strategic direction and coordinate all federal government health policies in the country. The agenda of the current administration of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, is to restructure the health system, implement universal health coverage – one of the most ambitious health programs in Africa. Our intention is to implement one functional primary healthcare center (PHC) per ward in Nigeria. This will amount to revitalising about 10,000 PHCs within the life of this current administration. The ultimate aim is to ensure that all Nigerians have equitable access to qualitative healthcare. To achieve this vision, the Nigerian government will need to mobilize resources to fund this project.

How will you continue to work with Feinberg? 

My current assignment at the Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria will not hinder my role at Northwestern University. Rather, I will use my current position to strengthen collaboration between Northwestern and the Federal Ministry of Health as well as other affiliated institutions in Nigeria. Eliminating mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV infection is one of this administration’s “low hanging fruit” projects. We will implement a Global Health Security Agenda in Nigeria. My plan is to leverage on my long-term relationship with colleagues at Northwestern to support my vision of eliminating MTCT in my country.

Faculty Global Health Leadership
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Global Health Day Highlights Pandemic, HIV Research

Dec 8, 2023

Pioneering Biochemist Craig Crews Named Winner of 2024 Kimberly Prize

Dec 5, 2023

Investigating Drug Combinations for Heart Failure

Dec 1, 2023

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Evolving Telehealth Research and its Place in Healthcare Delivery 

Dec 8, 2023

Global Health Day Highlights Pandemic, HIV Research

Dec 8, 2023

AI May Spare Breast Cancer Patients Unnecessary Treatments

Dec 7, 2023

Drug Extends Survival in Prostate Cancer with Genetic Mutations  

Dec 6, 2023

Pioneering Biochemist Craig Crews Named Winner of 2024 Kimberly Prize

Dec 5, 2023
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
2023-Sim-Open-House_161
2023-Sim-Open-House_127
2023-Sim-Open-House_108
2023-Sim-Open-House_106
2023-Sim-Open-House_118
2023-Sim-Open-House_068
2023-Sim-Open-House_069
2023-Sim-Open-House_027
2023-Sim-Open-House_155
2023-Sim-Open-House_161
2023-Sim-Open-House_127
2023-Sim-Open-House_108

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.