Chinua Achebe’s Daughter Receives Prestigious Award From Harvard Medical School

Maureen Okam Achebe, daughter of the late Chinua Achebe, a renowned novelist, has been honoured with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital 2024 Faculty Development and Diversity Award. This award recognises her exceptional contributions to medicine and diversity in academia.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a world-class academic medical centre in Boston, Massachusetts, and a premier teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, notified Okam Achebe of her award in a letter dated July 2. The announcement was made by her brother, Chidi Achebe, chairman of the African Integrated Development Enterprise Public Benefit Corporation, in a LinkedIn post.

Chidi Achebe’s post expressed joy and gratitude, stating,

To God be the glory always! Ekenedili Chukwunna! It’s a huge deal at Harvard! All glory to God!

He highlighted Maureen’s significant achievements and roles, including her position as President of AIDE Healthcare International, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, Director of Harvard University’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital Outpatient Infusion Centre, Clinical Director of the Non-Malignant Hematology Clinic, and Director of the Sickle Cell Programme.

Maureen Okam Achebe, triple-board certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine, earned her first medical degree from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She furthered her training in haematology and medical oncology at Yale School of Medicine and obtained a master’s in public health from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Her work extends beyond clinical practice and academia. Okam Achebe is also a commissioner on the Lancet Non-Communicable Disease and Injuries (NCDI) Nigeria Poverty Commission, where she serves as a sickle cell disease expert. In this role, she guides identifying and prioritising policies, interventions, and integrated delivery platforms to effectively address and reduce the burden of sickle cell disease in Nigeria.

The Brigham and Women’s Hospital will honour Maureen Okam Achebe for her accomplishments on October 28, 2024, celebrating her dedication to medicine and her impact on diversity and inclusion in the medical field.

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