L
LequteMan
Guest
Nigeria - When President Goodluck Jonathan appointed Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate as the Minister of State for Health in July 2011, Dr. Pate already had a clear focus on what his priorities were - continued fight for polio eradication and mobilization of public-private coalition for Saving One Million Lives (SOML) initiative, which he reportedly initiated.
Dr. Pate had come into Nigeria’s healthcare limelight following his trailblazing work at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), where he served as the Executive Director from 2008 to 2011.
Prior to his appointment, Nigeria was one of the four polio endemic PAIN countries; the others being Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. Dr. Pate tackled the polio epidemic headlong.
By June 2009, he had instigated a grassroots-oriented campaign of engaging respected traditional rulers in the North, under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, to assist with delivery of the immunisation programme messages in combination with the development of an effective primary healthcare system.
A decade earlier, the national immunisation programme had suffered severe setbacks, especially in the North.
The effectiveness of the strategic approach adopted by Dr. Pate caught the attention of the international and local stakeholders in less than two years of his appointment.
In 2010, incidences of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) fell to only 11 cases from a staggering figure of 803 in 2008. His work also entailed the consolidation of the National Programme on Immunisation (NPI) into the broader framework of NPHCDA, in line with international best practices.
Nigeria is now at the verge of being declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation.
However, Dr. Pate resigned his appointment in 2013 to take up a professorial chair at the United States’ Duke University’s Global Health Institute.
The position enabled him to serve as Senior Adviser to the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (a major player in Nigeria and other developing countries in the fight against major diseases like Polio), among other high-level engagements.
#Nigeria #AliPate #WHO #Jonathan
Dr. Pate had come into Nigeria’s healthcare limelight following his trailblazing work at the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), where he served as the Executive Director from 2008 to 2011.
Prior to his appointment, Nigeria was one of the four polio endemic PAIN countries; the others being Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. Dr. Pate tackled the polio epidemic headlong.
By June 2009, he had instigated a grassroots-oriented campaign of engaging respected traditional rulers in the North, under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, to assist with delivery of the immunisation programme messages in combination with the development of an effective primary healthcare system.
A decade earlier, the national immunisation programme had suffered severe setbacks, especially in the North.
The effectiveness of the strategic approach adopted by Dr. Pate caught the attention of the international and local stakeholders in less than two years of his appointment.
In 2010, incidences of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) fell to only 11 cases from a staggering figure of 803 in 2008. His work also entailed the consolidation of the National Programme on Immunisation (NPI) into the broader framework of NPHCDA, in line with international best practices.
Nigeria is now at the verge of being declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation.
However, Dr. Pate resigned his appointment in 2013 to take up a professorial chair at the United States’ Duke University’s Global Health Institute.
The position enabled him to serve as Senior Adviser to the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (a major player in Nigeria and other developing countries in the fight against major diseases like Polio), among other high-level engagements.
#Nigeria #AliPate #WHO #Jonathan
