Chikwe Ihekweazu

Chikwe Ihekweazu is a Nigerian epidemiologist and public health physician who is the current Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC),[1] the agency responsible for protecting public health and safety through the control and prevention of communicable diseases in Nigeria. He was appointed to head the agency in August 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari.[2]

Chikwe Ihekweazu
Chikwe Ihekweazu
Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
Assumed office
15 August 2016
Personal details
Born
Chikwe Andreas Ihekweazu

Germany
NationalityNigeria
Spouse(s)Vivianne Ihekweazu
EducationUK Faculty of Public Health
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
ProfessionEpidemiologist
Public health physician
Honorary Senior Lecturer

Ihekweazu trained as an infectious disease epidemiologist and has worked in senior public health and leadership positions in several National Public Health Institutes, including The National Institute for Communicable Diseases South Africa (NICD), the UK's Health Protection Agency, and Germany's Robert Koch Institute (RKI). He has led several short-term engagements for World Health Organization WHO, mainly in response to major infectious disease outbreaks around the world. He was part of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [3]

Early life

Chikwe Ihekweazu was born to Nigerian-German parents. His parents met during protests of the Biafra war in South-Eastern Nigeria. His father was a Nigerian doctor and the mother, a German professor. His childhood was in the small university town of Nsukka where he obtained his foundational education; his secondary school education was obtained at the Federal Government College Enugu (FGCE) from 1983 to 1989. Ihekweazu holds an MBBS from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a Diploma in Tropical Medicine at the Ruprecht Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany, a Masters in Public Health from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany,a Fellowship of the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training as well as a Fellowship of the UK's Faculty of Public Health.

Career

From October 1997– January 1999 shortly after his graduation, Chikwe completed his Housemanship and served the mandatory one-year Nigerian National Youth Service Corps Scheme. During his service year, he provided direct clinical care and public health functions at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba, Abia State, and Police College, Ikeja Lagos. Nigeria

In October 2001, he worked as a Medical Epidemiologist in the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Berlin, a German Federal Government Agency and Research Institute responsible for disease control and prevention. During his time at RKI he was responsible for investigating outbreaks involving hospital-associated infections, and the analysis of surveillance data.

In February 2003, he became a Public Health Analyst at Haringey Primary Care trust, National Health Service, England. Chikwe managed routinely collected health intelligence data and the provision of health intelligence and analysis for a period of one year from February 2003 – January 2004. Upon leaving the National Health Service, he became a Research Fellow of the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology (EPIET) in January 2004. There he was competitively selected to join the European Union-funded European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET) which provided him with service-based specialist training and practical experience in intervention epidemiology. He applied his skills and experience in field epidemiology across a wide range of public health challenges, mostly during outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Following the completion of his fellowship program, he became Specialist Registrar in Public Health Medicine at the Health Protection Agency, England, where he spent two years. During his specialist-training programme in Public Health, he led on several service-based projects in Public Health organisations in England and gained knowledge and experience in the control of infectious diseases, chemical, radiological and nuclear threats as well as in health project management and leadership.

Afterward, he became a consultant medical epidemiologist at United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency [4] in 2008. The HPA's role was to provide an integrated approach to protecting public health in the UK by providing emergency services, support, and advice to the National Health Service (NHS). During his time there he managed the South East of England's Regional Epidemiology Unit (REU) including a team of 13 Public Health specialists. The REU provided outbreak investigation and management, surveillance, advice, and specialist support for the control of communicable diseases, as well as leading the response to environmental hazards in the South East Region of England, a population of about 10 million people.

In 2011, he moved to Johannesburg, South Africa to become the co-director of the Centre for Tuberculosis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa with primary responsibility for the epidemiology section. During this period, he supported NICD to set up the first Provincial Epidemiology Service for the institute. His mandate included designing the service, recruiting the leadership provincial epidemiologists, initiating a supportive relationship in the nine provinces of South Africa, developing epidemiology capacity and surveillance for the institute. He also led the implementation of a nation-wide drug resistance survey for tuberculosis and the implementation of a new integrated surveillance system for tuberculosis in South Africa.

He co-founded EpiAfric, an African health consultancy group firm and Nigeria Health Watch as managing partner and editor respectively.[5] From February 2014 – July 2016, he was the curator, Nigeria Health Watch (NHW).[6] In January 2015 during the Ebola unrest he co-ordinated the WHO response in Montserrado County, this role included primarily supporting the Liberian Ministry of Health in their response and providing technical support and leadership to the response.

In February 2014, he became a part-time senior adviser at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Johannesburg, South Africa. He is currently the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Following the signing of its Act by President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) became an independent agency on 13 November 2018. Chikwe emerged the first Director General of the agency.[7]

Health Advocacy

It was reported by Nature that Chikwe criticised Nigeria for being unprepared for epidemics.[8] His critical piece attracted the attention of the former minister of health Babatunde Osotimehin, who suggested a meeting to put his views across to him. In his interview with The Guardian, when asked about fears of an outbreak as deadly as Ebola, plague or any other, he said "Through the recently developed national action plan for health security, we have developed a blueprint across the International Health Regulations work areas to ensure Nigeria is better prepared in the event of a pandemic".[9] Between 2016 and 2018, as CEO of NCDC, Chikwe led several advocacy activities for the passage of the NCDC Bill. Although established in 2011, the NCDC existed without an Act for seven years. The Bill for an Act to establish NCDC was finally passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2018.

Engagement with TED

In 2007, Chikwe attended a TED conference in Arusha, Tanzania. This inspired him to apply for a TEDx license with his friend Ike Anya. This led to the creation of TEDxEuston, which ran for ten years.

Personal life

Chikwe Ihekweazu is married to Vivianne Ihekweazu and they have two children.

Publications
  • Elimian, K. O.; Ochu, C. L.; Ilori, E.; Oladejo, J.; Igumbor, E.; Steinhardt, L.; Wagai, J.; Arinze, C.; Ukponu, W.; Obiekea, C.; Aderinola, O.; Crawford, E.; Olayinka, A.; Dan-Nwafor, C.; Okwor, T.; Disu, Y.; Yinka-Ogunleye, A.; Kanu, N. E.; Olawepo, O. A.; Aruna, O.; Michael, C. A.; Dunkwu, L.; Ipadeola, O.; Naidoo, D.; Umeokonkwo, C. D.; Matthias, A.; Okunromade, O.; Badaru, S.; Jinadu, A.; Ogunbode, O.; Egwuenu, A.; Jafiya, A.; Dalhat, M.; Saleh, F.; Ebhodaghe, G. B.; Ahumibe, A.; Yashe, R. U.; Atteh, R.; Nwachukwu, W. E.; Ezeokafor, C.; Olaleye, D.; Habib, Z.; Abdus-Salam, I.; Pembi, E.; John, D.; Okhuarobo, U. J.; Assad, H.; Gandi, Y.; Muhammad, B.; Nwagwogu, C.; Nwadiuto, I.; Sulaiman, K.; Iwuji, I.; Okeji, A.; Thliza, S.; Fagbemi, S.; Usman, R.; Mohammed, A. A.; Adeola-Musa, O.; Ishaka, M.; Aketemo, U.; Kamaldeen, K.; Obagha, C. E.; Akinyode, A. O.; Nguku, P.; Mba, N.; Ihekweazu, C. (11 September 2020). "Descriptive epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 in Nigeria, 27 February–6 June 2020". Epidemiology and Infection. 148: e208. doi:10.1017/S095026882000206X. PMC 7506173. PMID 32912370.
  • Simpson, Karl; Heymann, David; Brown, Colin S.; Edmunds, W. John; Elsgaard, Jesper; Fine, Paul; Hochrein, Hubertus; Hoff, Nicole A.; Green, Andrew; Ihekweazu, Chikwe; Jones, Terry C.; Lule, Swaib; Maclennan, Jane; McCollum, Andrea; Mühlemann, Barbara; Nightingale, Emily; Ogoina, Dimie; Ogunleye, Adesola; Petersen, Brett; Powell, Jacqueline; Quantick, Ollie; Rimoin, Anne W.; Ulaeato, David; Wapling, Andy (July 2020). "Human monkeypox – After 40 years, an unintended consequence of smallpox eradication". Vaccine. 38 (33): 5077–5081. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.04.062. PMID 32417140.
  • Bedford, Juliet; Enria, Delia; Giesecke, Johan; Heymann, David L.; Ihekweazu, Chikwe; Kobinger, Gary; Lane, H. Clifford; Memish, Ziad; Oh, Myoung-don; Sall, Amadou Alpha; Schuchat, Anne; Ungchusak, Kumnuan; Wieler, Lothar H. (28 March 2020). "COVID-19: towards controlling of a pandemic". The Lancet. 395 (10229): 1015–1018. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30673-5. PMC 7270596. PMID 32197103.
  • Ihekweazu, Chikwe; Yinka-Ogunleye, Adesola; Lule, Swaib; Ibrahim, Abubakar (3 May 2020). "Importance of epidemiological research of monkeypox: is incidence increasing?". Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy. 18 (5): 389–392. doi:10.1080/14787210.2020.1735361. PMID 32096659. S2CID 211477598.
  • Ismail, Nazir Ahmed; Mvusi, Lindiwe; Nanoo, Ananta; Dreyer, Andries; Omar, Shaheed V.; Babatunde, Sanni; Molebatsi, Thabo; Walt, Martie van der; Adelekan, Adeboye; Deyde, Varough; Ihekweazu, Chikwe; Madhi, Shabir A. (1 July 2018). "Prevalence of drug-resistant tuberculosis and imputed burden in South Africa: a national and sub-national cross-sectional survey". The Lancet Infectious Diseases. 18 (7): 779–787. doi:10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30222-6. PMC 6800151. PMID 29685458.
  • Njidda, Ahmad Muhammad; Oyebanji, Oyeronke; Obasanya, Joshua; Ojo, Olubunmi; Adedeji, Adebayo; Mba, Nwando; Oladejo, John; Ihekweazu, Chikwe (1 April 2018). "The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control". BMJ Global Health. 3 (2): e000712. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000712. S2CID 13784252.
  • Yinka-Ogunleye, Adesola; Aruna, Olusola; Ogoina, Dimie; Aworabhi, Neni; Eteng, Womi; Badaru, Sikiru; Mohammed, Amina; Agenyi, Jeremiah; Etebu, E. N.; Numbere, Tamuno-Wari; Ndoreraho, Adolphe; Nkunzimana, Eduard; Disu, Yahyah; Dalhat, Mahmood; Nguku, Patrick; Mohammed, Abdulaziz; Saleh, Muhammad; McCollum, Andrea M.; Wilkins, Kimberly; Faye, Ousmane; Sall, Amadou; Happi, Christian; Mba, Nwando; Ojo, Olubumi; Ihekweazu, Chikwe (2018). "Reemergence of Human Monkeypox in Nigeria, 2017 - Volume 24, Number 6—June 2018 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 24 (6): 1149–1151. doi:10.3201/eid2406.180017. PMC 6004876. PMID 29619921.
  • Dan-Nwafor, Chioma C.; Furuse, Yuki; Ilori, Elsie A; Ipadeola, Oladipupo; Akabike, Kachikwulu O; Ahumibe, Anthony; Ukponu, Winifred; Bakare, Lawal; Okwor, Tochi J; Joseph, Gbenga; Mba, Nwando G; Akano, Adejoke; Olayinka, Adebola T; Okoli, Ihekerenma; Okea, Rita A; Makava, Favour; Ugbogulu, Nkem; Oladele, Saliu; Namara, Geoffrey; Muwanguzi, Esther N; Naidoo, Dhamari; Mutbam, Samuel K; Okudo, Ifeanyi; Woldetsadik, Solomon F; Lasuba, Clement LP; Ihekweazu, Chikwe (16 May 2019). "Measures to control protracted large Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria, 1 January to 28 April 2019". Eurosurveillance. 24 (20). doi:10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2019.24.20.1900272. PMC 6530254. PMID 31115314.

References
  1. NCDC, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. "Office of the Director General". ncdc.gov.ng. Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. Retrieved 12 August2019.
  2. Organization, World Health. "Biographies of Members of, and Advisers to the 1st Meeting of the 2018 IHR Emergency Committee for Ebola Viral Disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo". WHO.INT. World Health Organization. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  3. Report of the WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/who-china-joint-mission-on-covid-19-final-report.pdf.
  4. https://www.one.org/international/person/dr-chikwe-ihekweazu/
  5. https://www.sfhnigeria.org/dr-chikwe-ihekweazu/
  6. https://nigeriahealthwatch.com/author/chikwe/
  7. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/health/health-news/295424-buhari-signs-bill-establishing-nigeria-centre-for-disease-control.html
  8. Maxmen, Amy (February 2019). "This Nigerian doctor might just prevent the next deadly pandemic". Nature. 566 (7744): 310–313. Bibcode:2019Natur.566..310M. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-00615-x. PMID 30787458. S2CID 67770834.
  9. The Guardian newspaper 5 January 2019 ‘Nigeria’s level of preparedness, detection, and response to epidemics is improving’. https://guardian.ng/features/nigerias-level-of-preparedness-detection-response-to-epidemics-is-improving/. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
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