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Nigeria better prepared for COVID-19 than Ebola —Niniola Williams

The Managing Director of the Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh Health Trust, Niniola Williams, tells MOBOLA SADIQ about the pains of losing her aunt (Adadevoh) to Ebola, how the family has kept her dreams alive and other issues

Tell us about your family and educational background?

I am blessed with a large and loving family. Interestingly, our roots go beyond Nigeria. Our family tree is rooted in Sierra Leone and Ghana and within Nigeria, I have relatives from Delta, Anambra, Lagos and Kwara states. We are quite a mixed bunch.

I studied Cognitive Science/Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania, United States of America. I also have certificates in the fields of Social Sector Management, Infection Prevention and Control, and Antimicrobial Resistance. I started my career in the private sector but quickly realised that I was extremely passionate about public health. I think it is one of the most challenging fields but it is definitely my calling.

Your biography states that you’re an Acumen Fellow, Most Influential People of African Descent (Class of 2018 honouree), Avance Media and 100 Most Influential Young Nigerians 2018 honouree. How have these recognitions helped your career growth?

I consider it a privilege to be part of these groups and communities. Truly, they inspire me. Some of them have been life-changing in the sense that I have connected with people all over the world who are facing the same challenges but are persevering for the good of others. Trying to build or rebuild systems, keep people healthy, and protect livelihoods is not the easiest path to choose, but it’s my passion, so having networks of like-minded people keeps me motivated and accountable. Also, being compared to people doing amazing things is humbling but I don’t work for accolades. I am happy to remain behind the scenes, as long as the work gets done. I believe that if one works hard and ensures one is performing to the best of one’s ability at all times, recognition would come.

What led to the establishment of DRASA Health Trust?

My aunt, Dr Stella Adadevoh, was a dedicated, talented and passionate doctor who loved people and understood what it meant to serve humanity. After we lost her during the Ebola crisis in 2014, my family decided that the best way to honour her life and continue her legacy of saving lives was to establish a non-profit public health organisation that would do exactly that. Our slogan is ‘protecting public health’ because that’s what Dr Adadevoh stood for, lived for and died for.

How well has DRASA been fulfilling its vision to meet Nigeria’s public health demands?

We launched DRASA in late 2015 and began our first programme in 2016. Since then, we have not stopped because there is no shortage of work to do. To date, our impact cuts across the nation, states, communities, schools and hospitals. We have reached 25,172 students, 2,049 teachers and 3,693 health professionals in 30 states. From improving health education programmes in secondary schools, to responding to a Lassa fever outbreak that killed health professionals in the line of duty, and reviewing and helping to develop national health policies and guidelines, our work spans different aspects of public health.

We also played a large role in preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic and managing it as part of the response team in Lagos State. We are still involved in the Lagos response team and from our work in Lagos, we formed partnerships and expanded our support to four other states— Borno, Enugu, Rivers and Kano.

It is worth mentioning that our next step is to establish the Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh Public Health Academy, which will serve communities with creative campaigns and reliable health education to help people stay healthy and safe. The academy will also hold training programmes for health professionals to help them provide quality care to their patients but also ensure they can identify and contain any public health threat, such as aunty Ameyo did with Ebola. It’s all about supporting people and improving healthcare because that was what she stood for. Through the academy, we would continue to impact the lives of Nigerians in her name.

It’s been eight years since Dr Adadevoh passed on. How has the family coped with her demise?

It has not been easy but time heals. The family still misses her, especially during significant family moments. DRASA helps us cope because we know she won’t be forgotten as long as we keep her legacy alive through the organisation.

The National President of the Queens School, Ibadan, Oyo State, Dr Taiwo Adamson, during a recent interview with the PUNCH said the Federal Government had not honoured Dr Adadevoh for her bravery. What do you have to say about that?

This is a sentiment that a lot of people share. However, as a family, our focus is on working with the government to continue her legacy of saving lives through DRASA. We are very thankful we have a good working relationship with ministries and agencies across the country. Also, we are humbled by all the public and private entities that have given her posthumous awards and honours and continue to do so.

How would you rate Nigeria’s public health system?

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to prove that health system challenges exist all over the world and Nigeria is no exception. There are a lot of things that need to be done to improve the health sector as a whole but while we are facing those gaps and challenges, we must also acknowledge the great work being done in public health.

The efforts of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Port Health, Federal/state ministries and agencies who have been working tirelessly to secure our borders, identify infectious diseases quickly and keep us all safe should not be dismissed. We are far from perfect but we were certainly better prepared for COVID-19 in 2020 than we were in 2014 when we had the Ebola outbreak.

What do you think Nigeria is lacking in the health sector?

For me, it comes down to resources. Firstly, we need human resources—more skilled, trained and supported health professionals that work in every part of the health sector. Not just doctors and nurses, we must include everyone from lab technicians to hospital cleaners and healthcare administrators. Everyone has a role to play in improving the state of the system. I also think we need improved health infrastructure to provide the level of care required to save lives. These two things must align to strengthen the health sector. There is no point in having a state-of-the art hospital if there are no skilled members of staff to deliver care. There is also no point in having highly trained staff who cannot do their best due to the limitations of resources they face every day.

How well did DRASA function during the COVID-19 lockdown?

DRASA’s COVID-19 work began in January 2020 before Nigeria’s first patient was discovered because we knew the virus would come. Since then, we have been working with the Lagos State Ministry of Health as part of the Emergency Operations Team and as I mentioned earlier, we provided support to four other states. The lockdown period was one of our busiest times. We worked seven days a week and we are still involved in training health workers, inspecting health facilities and supporting the set-up of isolation and quarantine centres, developing guidelines and supporting various aspects of the pandemic response.

Some people still think that COVID-19 is not real and that the recorded deaths were exaggerated. What do you have to say to such people?

Through our community engagement, we have spoken to a lot of people who feel this way but I think it is very unfortunate that there has been so much misinformation about COVID-19 which has led to unnecessary lives being lost. For those of us who were involved and on the frontlines, we know what we saw. The virus is very real and the recorded deaths were not exaggerated at all. This is one of the reasons we are building the DRASA Public Health Academy to ensure people in communities across the country have accurate information on how to stay healthy, not just for COVID-19 but in their daily lives. It is important this information is delivered to them in creative and engaging ways and in languages they understand.

What are your thoughts about the misgivings people have about the COVID-19 vaccines?

Research so far states vaccines are very effective in reducing the chance of getting sick and protecting against severe illness. Again, unfortunately, misinformation has led to vaccine hesitancy even though we have evidence that they work, including the fact that in several countries around the world with high vaccination rates, the COVID-19 numbers have drastically reduced. While hesitancy is driven by many factors including cultural traditions and religious beliefs, there are ways to tackle it and that’s one of the things we do through the DRASA Public Health Academy – provide accurate, clear and interesting health information that can help people make the right decisions regarding their health and the health of their loved ones.

Why did you choose a career in the health sector?

I come from a family of people in healthcare. Both my grandfathers were medical doctors who worked in public health and made significant impact. However, I refused to go to medical school because I did not think I would make a good doctor. But even while I was working in the private sector, the health sector was ‘calling’ me. I started volunteering with a non-profit Christian public health and quickly realised that was my passion – not to treat sick patients like doctors do (medicine), but to help people prevent illness (public health). That was how I discovered my purpose. It is so important to do what one enjoys. Life is too short not to pursue one’s dreams.

What do you miss most about your aunt, Dr Adadevoh?

I miss spending time with her and ‘gisting’. There was always something to discuss. She taught me so much, not just with her words but also with her actions and for that I am eternally grateful.

What are your hobbies?

I live a simple life. I enjoy spending time with loved ones, reading, listening to music and cooking new foods.

What are your dos and don’ts when it comes to fashion?

I am quite simple with my dress style. When I was younger, my clothing was mostly dark or neutral but I’ve since embraced colour. I love traditional attire and I only have one rule— comfort is key.

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