Dear HIFA colleagues,
I'm Nnamdi Umelo, a medical student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto, Nigeria, and I've recently been appointed HIFA Country Representative for Nigeria. [ https://www.hifa.org/support/members/nnamdi ]
Alongside my clinical training, I've spent the past year expanding my skills in data analytics and biostatistics, studying SQL, Power BI, SPSS, STATA and R because I've come to see that many healthcare challenges are not only about limited resources but also about access to reliable information and the effective use of evidence.
During my internal medicine rotation, I was involved in the care of a 16-year-old patient who was diagnosed with diabetes only after being admitted through the emergency department with diabetic ketoacidosis. Looking back, it became clear that he had been unwell for a long time, but neither he nor his family recognized the significance of his symptoms or sought medical attention until a life threatening emergency occurred. That experience reinforced for me that timely access to clear, reliable health information can influence when people seek care and can profoundly affect health outcomes.
Another overlooked challenge is ensuring that reliable health information reaches patients in forms they can understand, especially in communities where misinformation often spreads faster than evidence. That conviction is what drew me to HIFA.
As I begin this role, my goal over the next year is to help grow HIFA's presence in Nigeria by connecting clinicians, researchers and students around evidence informed healthcare and promoting wider access to reliable health information.
My interests include clinical research, artificial intelligence in healthcare . I also hope to contribute through evidence reviews, research collaboration and the dissemination of reliable health information while learning from colleagues across the HIFA community.
I'd especially welcome conversations with members working on healthcare information access, evidence synthesis, clinical research or related initiatives in Nigeria and across West Africa. I'm keen to learn from your experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Best wishes,
Nnamdi Umelo
HIFA profile: Nnamdi Umelo is a 5th Year Medical Student at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. I have a strong interest in cancer research, public health, and global health policy. I believe that limited access to accurate, evidence based health information remains a major contributor to preventable illness and death, particularly in rural and underserved communities across Africa. I am passionate about health advocacy, promoting health literacy, and supporting equitable access to reliable healthcare information. Through HIFA, I hope to learn from a global network of professionals, contribute to discussions on improving access to health information, collaborate on research and advocacy initiatives, and apply the knowledge gained to strengthen health education and cancer awareness in my community and beyond. nnamdiumelo799 AT gmail.com