Ekanem Ikpi Braide

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Ekanem Ikpi Braide
Born6 March 1946
NationalityNigerian
Education University of Ife, Cornell University
OccupationVice-Chancellor
Known for Parasitology
AwardsJimmy/Roslynn Carter Award for outstanding dedication and achievement in the eradication of guinea worm in Nigeria

Cross River State 2000 Millennium Award (2000)

Nigerian National honor of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) (2010)

Ekanem Ikpi Braide (OFR) (born 6 March 1946) is a Nigerian Parasitologist. She was a Vice-Chancellor of Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), Calabar, [1] and pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Lafia. [2] She is credited with a major contribution to the eradication of guinea worm in Nigeria. In 2020, she was made the first female President-elect of the Nigerian Academy of Science. [3] [4] Braide is Chairman of the Board of Trustees, The Leprosy Mission (TLM) Nigeria. She is the Pro-Chancellor of Arthur Jarvis University, Akpabuyo, Nigeria. She is the first female President of the Nigerian Academy of Science.

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Education and career

Braide was born in Cross River State in 1946, and attended St Anne's School Ibadan for her secondary school education. She studied zoology at the University of Ife before obtaining her Master's degree in Parasitology (1973), and Doctorate degree in Epidemiology, Cornell University, New York (1978). She holds a Certificate in Epidemiological Methods from Southampton University (British Council Course). She is a Fellow and Co-founder, Nigerian Society of Parasitology; Fellow, Salzburg Seminar Session 319; Fellow (President designate) Nigerian Academy of Science

Earlier in her career, Braide taught in Community Secondary School, Ugep from 1966 to 1968, before transferring to College of Education, Port Harcourt (1973), and later moved to University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she lectured between 1973 and 1976. In 1978, she was appointed Officer/Researcher (pioneer) in charge of the Onchocerciasis Control Unit of the Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research, Kaduna until 1979. Braide has worked at the University of Calabar since 1979. She was promoted to be a Professor in 1991. [5]

Braide's research interests focuses on disease control particularly operational research, impact assessment of interventions, rapid assessment methods in mapping diseases and community initiatives in disease control. Between 1988 and 1998, Braide was Zonal Facilitator (South East), Nigerian Guinea worm Eradication Programme, and later joined the World Health Organisation / Federal Government of Nigeria Guinea Worm Eradication Certification Committee until 2013 when Nigeria was certified guinea worm free. [3] Braide coordinated Anglophone teams for African Programme on Onchocerciasis Control (APOC), multi-country impact assessment of onchocerciasis control activities in Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria. [6] She was a member of the TDR/APOC team that developed RAPLOA, a rapid assessment tool for determining prevalence of Loa loa for quick identification of communities in areas co-endemic for onchocerciasis and loaisis that are at high risk of severe adverse reactions to Ivermectin treatment. In 2001, Braide was a member of WHO/APOC Technical Consultative Committee (TCC), and in 2003, she assumed the chairmanship position of the committee until 2006.

Between 2003 and 2006, Braide served as a member on committee of Mectizan Expert. From 2007 to 2018, she served as member (Alternate Chairman) of National Steering Committee, Nigerian Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme. In 2018, Braide was appointed Chairman, Technical Advisory Committee, Cross River State Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of Sightsavers for eight years and was the chair of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) (the 4 year Sightsavers) DFID funded NTD UNITED project that ended in 2019.[ citation needed ]

Braide is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for The Leprosy Mission Nigeria.

She was the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Lafia (2011 - 2016) and Vice-Chancellor Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), Calabar (2004 - 2009). [7] She is also one of the board members of Nigeria's foremost non-governmental organization, Society for Family Health, Nigeria. [8]

Braide is a recipient of Jimmy/Roslynn Carter Award for outstanding dedication and achievement in the eradication of guinea worm in Nigeria. In 2000, she received Cross River State 2000 Millennium Award. [8] In July 2010, Braide received a Nigerian national honor award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), for her contribution to disease control in Nigeria conferred to her by the Nigerian president.[ citation needed ]

In 2020, she was named President-elect of the Nigerian Academy of Science. She became the first woman to be President of the Academy in January 2021, succeeding Professor Kalu Mosto Onuoha. Braide has already been the Academy's vice-President. [9] [10]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<i>Loa loa</i> filariasis Medical condition

Loa loa filariasis, (Loiasis) is a skin and eye disease caused by the nematode worm Loa loa. Humans contract this disease through the bite of a deer fly or mango fly, the vectors for Loa loa. The adult Loa loa filarial worm can reach from three to seven centimetres long and migrates throughout the subcutaneous tissues of humans, occasionally crossing into subconjunctival tissues of the eye where it can be easily observed. Loa loa does not normally affect vision but can be painful when moving about the eyeball or across the bridge of the nose. Loiasis can cause red itchy swellings below the skin called "Calabar swellings". The disease is treated with the drug diethylcarbamazine (DEC), and when appropriate, surgical methods may be employed to remove adult worms from the conjunctiva. Loiasis belongs to the group of neglected tropical diseases, and there is a call for it to be included in the high priority listing.

<i>Loa loa</i> Species of roundworm

Loa loa is a filarial (arthropod-borne) nematode (roundworm) that causes Loa loa filariasis. Loa loa actually means "worm worm", but is commonly known as the "eye worm", as it localizes to the conjunctiva of the eye. Loa loa is commonly found in Africa. It mainly inhabits rain forests in West Africa and has native origins in Ethiopia. The disease caused by Loa loa is called loiasis and is one of the neglected tropical diseases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carter Center</span> American nonprofit organization

The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. He and his wife Rosalynn Carter partnered with Emory University after his defeat in the 1980 United States presidential election. The center is located in a shared building adjacent to the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum on 37 acres (150,000 m2) of parkland, on the site of the razed neighborhood of Copenhill, two miles (3 km) from downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The library and museum are owned and operated by the United States National Archives and Records Administration, while the center is governed by a Board of Trustees, consisting of business leaders, educators, former government officials, and philanthropists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onchocerciasis</span> Human helminthiasis (infection by parasite)

Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindness due to infection, after trachoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dracunculiasis</span> Infection by the Guinea worm

Dracunculiasis, also called Guinea-worm disease, is a parasitic infection by the Guinea worm, Dracunculus medinensis. A person becomes infected by drinking water contaminated with Guinea-worm larvae that reside inside copepods. Stomach acid digests the copepod and releases the Guinea worm, which penetrates the digestive tract and escapes into the body. Around a year later, the adult female migrates to an exit site – usually the lower leg – and induces an intensely painful blister on the skin. Eventually, the blister bursts, creating a painful wound from which the worm gradually emerges over several weeks. The wound remains painful throughout the worm's emergence, disabling the affected person for the three to ten weeks it takes the worm to emerge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Calabar</span> Public university in Calabar, Nigeria

The University of Calabar is a federal university situated in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. It is one of Nigeria's second-generation federal universities. The University of Calabar was a campus of the University of Nigeria until 1975. The present Vice Chancellor is Dr. Florence B. Obi (Professor). The post of the DVC (Academic) is held by Dr. Angela Oyo Ita (Professor), while Dr. Grace Eno Nta (Professor) is the current DVC (Administration).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yakö people</span> Ethnic group in Niger Delta, Nigeria

The Yakurr live in five compact towns in Cross River State, Nigeria. They were formally known as Umor, Ekoli, Ilomi, Nkoibolokom and Yakurr be Ibe. Due to linguistic problems encountered by the early European visitors, the settlements have come to be known by their mispronounced versions – Ugep, Ekori, Idomi, Nko and Mkpani. In the latter, it is a product of yakpanikpani, a name, which Enang (1980) says was given to them by the Ugep people after being tricked in a conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eradication of infectious diseases</span> Elimination of a disease from all hosts

The eradication of infectious diseases is the reduction of the prevalence of an infectious disease in the global host population to zero.

United Front Against Riverblindness (UFAR) is a Non-Governmental Development Organization (NGDO) that provides technical, managerial and financial support for the elimination of riverblindness, or onchocerciasis, in the Kasongo region of Maniema province in the east-southern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Federal University of Lafia formerly named Federal University, Lafia is a recently established university situated in Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State, this was done in 2010 by the Goodluck Jonathan administration as one of the nine new federal universities established in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

Sightsavers is an international non-governmental organisation that works with partners in developing countries to treat and prevent avoidable blindness, and promote equality for people with visual impairments and other disabilities. It is based in Haywards Heath in the United Kingdom, with branches in Sweden, Norway, India, Italy, Republic of Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, and the US.

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References

  1. "Nigeria: Goes Tough On Sorting".
  2. Activist, Admin Journalist | News Editor at www crossriverwatch com | Broadcaster | Co-Host of 'The Dialogue With Agba Jalingo on Hit 95 9 FM Calabar | Budding (16 February 2020). "Ex CRUTECH, FULafia VC, Professor Braide Is First Academy Of Science Female President" . Retrieved 2020-04-29.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. 1 2 "Nigerian Academy of Science elects first female president". 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  4. "NIGERIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE ELECTS ITS FIRST FEMALE PRESIDENT". Flourish Africa. 2020-02-17. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  5. ":: University Of Calabar ::". www.unical.edu.ng. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
  6. "Professor Ekanem Ikpi Braide | Society for Family Health, Nigeria". www.sfhnigeria.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  7. Leading women [ permanent dead link ], SunNewsOnLine.com, Retrieved 8 February 2016
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  9. "1st female President-elect of Nigerian Academy of Science". Vanguard News. 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  10. "Nigerian Academy Of Science Inducts First Female President". Sahara Reporters. 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  11. 1 2 "Prof. Ekanem Ikpi Bride – Eliminate NTD Conference 2019" . Retrieved 2020-02-29.