His certificate of appointment and official status of recognition, which was duly signed by the World President, IPSPJ Global, H.E Cardinal Prof. Esapa Sona Joseph Dominion and Hon. Amb. Miss Canungnuch Koonsri JP, World Administrator for IPSPJ, took effect on 30th September, 2024.
His present status didn't come to many as a surprise as Prof. Uro-Chukwu, being a lover of knowledge, had over the years made enormous sacrifices to upgrade himself, in order to become the best of the best in his chosen fields of human endeavour.
For those who may not be aware, Professor Uro-Chukwu, Henry Chukwuemeka is a Professor of Public Health / Community Medicine at Ebonyi State University, Medical School; an Adjunct Professor, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.
He is equally a visiting Professor of Health Systems Research, at Afriworld Higher Education & Research Observatory, United Kingdom.
Born to a humble Family in Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria, young Uro-Chukwu started his educational career at Ukpa/Amachara Primary School, Afikpo and Government Secondary School, Afikpo, where he made distinctions, before gaining admission to Universities in Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United States of America, where he undertook various Postgraduate courses.
He attended University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, where he obtained Bachelors of Medical Science (Medical Physiology) in 1990, and Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) in 1995.
He graduated from The University of Westminster, London with MSc in Public Health with Merit in 2002. While in the United Kingdom, he attended a short course on Management Skills for Project Leaders, at the Centre for International Child Health, University College London.
He returned to Nigeria in 2003 and by 2012 enrolled in Ebonyi State University Abakaliki for MSc/PhD, in Food Science & Technology, which culminated in an MSc in Food Chemistry & Biochemistry and a Ph.D in 2018.
While undertaking this courses, he enrolled with the National Open University of Nigeria in 2014 and obtained a Post graduate Diploma in Education in 2015. In 2018 while completing a PhD in EBSU, he enrolled for a third Master’s degree in Health Policy & Health Systems in the same University, graduating in 2020. By 2021 he attended an online course in Lifestyle Medicine, at Harvard University Medical School, Boston USA,
In the same year, he gained admission for his Fourth Master’s degree at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, graduating with an MSc in Clinical Nutrition in 2023.
In furtherance for search of deeper knowledge in the new area of Nutraceuticals, his research interest, he enrolled for a second Ph.D in Medical Biochemistry at the Rivers state University, Port Harcourt, where again, he graduated in 2024.
Professor Uro-Chukwu is on verifiable record as the First Physician in Africa to earn a Ph.D in Food Science & Technology and the First Ph.D produced from The Four Faculties of The College of Medicine of Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
His Public Service career started in 1999 when he was employed by Ebonyi State Ministry of Health as a Medical Officer from where he rose through the ranks to an Assistant Director, GL. 15 in 2011 before transferring his services to NOFIC Abakaliki, a Parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health, where he served in various capacities including as Acting Medical Director in 2012.
His services to Ebonyi State University also started in 1999 as an Adjunct Assistant Lecturer, became a Senior Lecturer in 2018, an Associate Professor in 2020 and a Full Professor in 2024.
He has served Coal City University as Associate Professor and Professor and supported the establishment of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences in an Adjunct capacity, where he held the positions of Pioneer Dean, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences and Deputy Provost, College of Medicine.
He is an External Examiner in Medical Biochemistry to University of Uyo Medical School and Postgraduate Examiner to the School of Public Health, National Open University of Nigeria.
He is among the regular Medical School accreditation Team Experts of the Medical & Dental Council of Nigeria. He is the Centre Lead / Programme Coordinator, Centre for Reproductive Health Research & Development, Ebonyi State University.
He has published widely including seventy-one (71) Journal articles and seven (7) textbooks in areas of Public Health, Medical Biochemistry and Nutrition. Most of his Journal articles are in Thomson Reuters (24) and Scopus / SCImago (28).
The 2024 World Scholars (AD Scientific Index) ranking, listed him among the Top three Scientists in Ebonyi State University, while the GPscholars 2024 ranking rated him among the top 14% Public Health Scholars in the World.
He currently serves as an academic Journal reviewer and Editor of several high impact International Journals.
Professor Uro-Chukwu is a: Fellow of Royal Institute of Public Health, London;
Fellow, Royal Society for Public Health, United Kingdom; Fellow, Institute of Chattered Administrators, Nigeria,
Fellow, Society For Health Policy & Knowledge Translation, Nigeria,
Fellow, Chartered Institute of Social Work of Nigeria, Fellow, WHO-African Institute for Health Policy, Nigeria,
Member, Association of Public Health Physicians, Nigeria, Member, Association of Specialist Medical Doctors in Academics, Nigeria, Member, Nigerian Medical Association, Nigeria,
Member, Association of Medical Biochemists, Nigeria, Member, Nigerian Institute of Food Science & Technology, Nigeria, Member, The Nutrition Society, United Kingdom, Member, Health Systems Global, Georgia.
Professor Uro-Chukwu is a renowned capacity-builder globally and has offered consultancy services across the globe.
He was: 1. Temporary Adviser to World Health Organization (WHO) on Knowledge Management & Research Uptake in Tropical Diseases in 2017.
2. Mentor/Master class facilitator in the European Commission/African Academy of Science/ UK Research & Innovation-supported evidence-informed policy making seminar-Water-Energy-Food-health in South Africa, 2018
3. Facilitator, Hewlett Foundation/Canada`s IDRC-funded Partners for Evidence-driven Rapid learning in Social Systems (PERLSS) in Addis Ababa, 2019.
4. Facilitator, IDRC-funded Health Policy System/ Maternal Newborn, Child, Adolescent Health curriculum Development workshop in Accra Ghana, 2017.
5. Facilitator The IDRC-funded consortium partners on MNCA & Health Systems Strengthening in ECOWAS sub-region and Cameroun in Ghana, 2018.
6. Facilitator WHO-funded K2P mentorship program at American University of Beirut, Lebanon, 2019
7. Facilitator, Canada`s IDRC-funded Using Evidence to Strengthen Health systems in SSA and MENA regions in Uganda, 2018
8. Facilitator, WHO-funded EVIPNET-Africa in Addis Ababa., 2018
He is a Consultant to several International Donor Agencies including USAID Engender Health, Management Sciences For Health (MSH), Momentum Country & Global Leadership (MCGL), and JHPIEGO. In the course of his duties and studies he has toured the world visiting over thirty (30) countries and still visiting.
In giving back to the society, Prof. Uro-Chukwu set up a Non-Governmental Organization, The Essential Health Network for Rural Dwellers, that champions advancing health services to the remote areas and managing grants on Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) for United States Funds, The USAID/MCGL/JHPIEGO Projects in Nigeria.
His community service equally made him to join the Federal Road Safety Corps as a Special Marshal in 1996, where he has served as The Ebonyi State Coordinator of Special Marshals arm of the FRSC Nigeria, for seven years (2009 – 2015), and till date still actively participates in preventing Road Traffic Accidents in Nigeria. His services to Corporate Bodies, Institutions, Communities, States, Nations and humanity have earned him several awards and Chieftaincy titles too numerous to mention.
His marriage to Cassandra, a Chartered Accountant, is blessed with wonderful children.
Having attained the status of the African Continental Medical Director, ACMD of IPSPJ, many are optimistic that Prof Uro-Chukwu will do Ebonyi State proud, by bringing his experiences to bare, in the promotion of IPSPJ, for the betterment of humanity and the world at large.
Professor Uro-Chukwu, Henry Chukwuemeka, the African Continental Medical Director, ACMD, IPSPJ.
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