Thank you, Dr. Adirieje, for raising this very important issue. In general, medical negligence has very little attention in Nigeria, and as practitioners, we should be at the forefront of establishing accountability structures.
CHIFA profile:
Ochiawunma Ibe, MD, MPH, FWACP, MSc (Maternal and Child Health), is a distinguished public health pediatrician with over 30 years of post-qualification experience spanning clinical care, neonatal health, and global health systems strengthening. She is a recognized expert in maternal, newborn, and child health, with particular specialization in neonatal care and early-life survival interventions, including pioneering the introduction and scale-up of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) practice in Nigeria. Through her work with Fundación Canguro in Colombia and subsequent national training initiatives, she led the training of pediatrician–nurse teams from multiple Nigerian teaching hospitals, significantly improving outcomes for low-birthweight and preterm infants in low-resource settings.
In addition to her neonatal expertise, Dr. Ibe has over two decades of progressive leadership in international health and development, managing complex, multi-sectoral programs funded by USAID and PEPFAR across Africa and globally. Her technical portfolio spans HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, emerging infectious diseases, Global Health Security, immunization, nutrition, RMNCH, and community health systems strengthening, including event-based surveillance and orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) programming. She has held senior advisory and director-level roles, providing strategic oversight for large-scale programs and fostering sustainable health system reforms.
Dr. Ibe has a strong track record of high-level technical leadership and partnership with bilateral and multilateral institutions, including the U.S. Government, CDC, WHO, Africa CDC, World Bank, UNAIDS, and national ministries of health. Her work is characterized by a commitment to evidence-based practice, national ownership, and capacity strengthening, making her a respected voice in child health advocacy, neonatal care innovation, and health systems transformation. Email. ochiibeATgmail.com