Ekanem Ikpi Braide

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Ekanem Ikpi Braide
Born6 March 1946
Cross River State
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.

Contents

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 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 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 one's vision but can be painful when moving about the eyeball or across the bridge of the nose. The disease 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 so-called neglected diseases.

<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">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 containing water fleas infected with guinea worm larvae. The worms penetrate the digestive tract and escape into the body. Around a year later, the adult worm migrates to an exit site – usually a lower limb – and induces an intensely painful blister on the skin. The blister eventually bursts to form an intensely painful open wound, from which the worm slowly crawls over several weeks. The wound remains painful throughout the worm's emergence, disabling the infected person for the three to ten weeks it takes the worm to emerge. During this time, the open wound can become infected with bacteria, leading to death in around 1% of cases.

<i>Dracunculus medinensis</i> Species of parasitic worm

Dracunculus medinensis, or Guinea worm, is a nematode that causes dracunculiasis, also known as guinea worm disease. The disease is caused by the female which, at up to 80 centimetres in length, is among the longest nematodes infecting humans. In contrast, the longest recorded male Guinea worm is only 4 cm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yakö people</span>

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> Complete extermination of disease causing agent effectively to reduce its incidence to zero

Eradication is the reduction of an infectious disease's prevalence 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onyebuchi Chukwu</span> Nigerian politician

Onyebuchi Chukwu is a Nigerian politician who served as Minister of Health from 2010 until 2014.

The Nigerian Academy of Science is the official science academy of Nigeria. The academy of science was established on 18 January 1977, as an association of Nigeria's foremost scientists, but incorporated in 1986. It is the apex scientific organization in Nigeria. The Academy acts as a scientific advisor to the Federal Government of Nigeria, funds research fellowships, and scientific start-up companies. The Academy is governed by its council, which is chaired by the academy's president, according to a set of Statutes and Bye-laws. The members of council and the president are elected from, and by its Fellows. The basic members of the Academy are also elected by existing Fellows. There are currently 268 Fellows allowed to use the postnominal title FAS, with not more than 10 new Fellows appointed each year. The current president is Professor Ekanem Ikpi Braide, a professor of Parasitology/Epidemiology. The Nigerian Academy of Science is Nigeria's national representative on such bodies as the International Science Council (ISC) – the umbrella body for all science associations and unions – and the Inter-Academy Partnership for Policy (IAP) – the umbrella body for all national science academies globally. The academy is also a member of the Network of African Science Academies (NASAC).

Kalu Mosto Onuoha is a Nigerian Professor Emeritus of Geology. In January 2017, he became the president of the Nigerian Academy of Science after previously serving as its treasurer (2010–2013), vice president (2013–2015), and president-elect in 2016.

Uche Veronica Amazigo is a professor of Medical Parasitology and public health specialist. She is a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science who was elected into the Academy's Fellowship at its Annual General Meeting held in January 2015. In 2012, she won the Prince Mahidol Award for outstanding contributions to public health. She is best known for her research on onchocerciasis and her consequent contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Okoji Oko</span> Nigerian politician (1956–2020)

Rose Okoji Oko was a Nigerian politician and senator. She was a Member of the Federal House of Representatives from the People's Democratic Party (PDP), representing Yala/Ogoja Federal Constituency in Nigeria's 7th National Assembly. She was elected into office as the first female representative from her constituency in June 2011 and sat as Deputy Chairman House Committee on Education. She was the Senator representing the people of Cross River North Senatorial District. She was elected into office as the first female representative from her Senatorial District in June 2015.

Celestine Onyemobi Elihe Onwuliri was a renowned university professor of Parasitology and 5th substantive Vice Chancellor of the FUTO University. He was also the Ag. Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos and a two-time Honorable Commissioner. After his death, an educational institution of higher learning in the US, the Graduate Theological Foundation instituted a fellowship in his honour called the Celestine O. E. Onwuliri Fellowship in Scientific Research and Human Values.

Sandy Ojang Onor is a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He was elected in 2019 to represent Cross River Central Senatorial District in the 9th Assembly of the Senate. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party (PDP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ikechukwu Dozie</span> Nigerian academician

Professor Ikechukwu Nosike Simplicius Dozie is a professor of Microbiology, a public health scientist, teacher and community health specialist currently serving at the Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria. He is a member of American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH). Dozie was a consultant to the World Health Organisation; WHO’s African programme for Onchocerciasis. He is the Director, Linkages and Advancement, Federal University of Technology Owerri.

St Anne's School, Ibadan is a secondary school for girls in Ibadan, Nigeria. The school took its current name in 1950, after a merger between Kudeti Girls School, founded in 1899, and CMS Girls School, Lagos, founded in 1869. It can therefore claim to be the oldest girls secondary school in Nigeria.

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)
  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. 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
  8. 1 2 3 "Professor Ekanem Ikpi Braide | Society for Family Health, Nigeria". www.sfhnigeria.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-29. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  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.
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