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Food Safety and Public Health Concerns of Unhygienic Abattoirs

Dr Samuel Nsikan Akpan is a veterinary epidemiologist and infectious disease ecologist. His expertise spans genomic and field epidemiology, teaching, and research.

Over the past decade, his work has been focused on solving global health challenges that arise at the human-animal-environment interface (food safety, zoonoses, & AMR).

He has received multiple scholarly awards, fellowships and grants, such as the USAID/AfWA research grant (2017), LBS/ACT Foundation scholarship (2021), the GIZ Alliance doctoral fellowship (2022), ERRAZE research support (2023), the DEAL Fellowship of the West Africa Institute of Public Health (2024), amongst others.

He is currently a doctoral research fellow at the African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Nigeria, and a PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the Netherlands.

Youth Mental Health in Post COVID-19 Times

Dr. Cameka Hazel Jackson is a university professor and clinical mental health therapist. She specializes in particularly in children and adolescents mental health care. As a university professor she also trains graduate students on the career path of becoming a school counselor or mental health clinician.  Dr. Hazel has also been involved in research in trauma informed interventions for children and adolescents and refugee children and families.

Barriers to Mental Health Care in Africa

Dr. Olukemi Olugbade is a multi-skilled Physician, Public health specialist, and Healthcare industry expert with over 15 years post-qualification experience as a Medical Doctor and 5 years post-training as a Field Epidemiologist and Researcher. 

Her professional background is focused on SDGs 3,5,6, and 9, General Medicine, Public Health, Community Health and Epidemiology with expertise in Public Health Data Analysis, Project Management, integrated diseases surveillance and response (IDSR) for outbreak detection and response, health advocacy and community engagement, maternal, child and adolescent health, reproductive health, occupational health, environmental health, public health nutrition, mental health, infection prevention, and control, antimicrobial stewardship, monitoring & evaluation, scientific communication, research proposals, and grants proposal writing. 

More recently she has developed health technology, digital communications, digital marketing, medical content-writing, and copy-writing skills applied to health-oriented freelancing engagements.

She has vast experience practicing in the Nigerian Healthcare space, working in resource-limited settings, focused on underserved and vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach, urban slums and rural areas.

Over the years, she has provided live-saving affordable care, essential medicines, and vaccinations in these areas, and reduced mortality, morbidity and disability in these populations, whilst also working with stakeholders at all levels of the Nigerian healthcare system including the private sector, in-country, and international development partners to improve accessibility, affordability, availability, and quality of care, thereby contributing to health systems strengthening.

She continuously contributes leadership, interpersonal and technical skills in her work and contracts, and these she has done in several positions. Professional certifications, and achievements she has garnered demonstrate attributes that make her an outstanding public health professional. 

Dr. Olugbade has won several scholarly awards, presented her research findings in several local, regional and international conferences, won research grants, has granted several interviews, spoken at healthcare events, webinars, and seminars and has published in peer-reviewed journals.

She also mentors medical students, early-career epidemiologists and health professionals.

Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

Rich Greenhill serves as the chief transformation officer (CTO) at Quality Insights and editor-in-chief of the International Journal for Quality in Healthcare, Communications (IJCOMS), an Oxford University Press and International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQH) peer reviewed publication. In his CTO role, he spearheads transformative initiatives focused on efficiency, productivity and competitiveness. His career spans more than 30 years with deep experience across the continuum. He is a sought-after international and national speaker on topics related to AI use in healthcare delivery, quality and patient safety.

He is an expert for the ISQua, World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). Greenhill was elected to the prestigious International Academy for Quality in Healthcare (IAQS), joining luminaries in the universe of quality improvement and patient safety, such as Sir Liam Donaldson, Donald Berwick and Jeffrey Braithwaite. Membership in the IAQS is lifelong and one of the highest honors that someone in healthcare quality can achieve.

Rich serves as ACHE Choice faculty for Revitalizing Quality and Patient Safety Practices Through Interprofessional Collaboration seminars and faulty for other ACHE offerings including the Career Accelerator Program, the Executive Program and the Thomas C. Dolan Diversity in Executive Leadership Program.

Cuban Healthcare System’s Structure: Insight of A Medical Student

Esthelle Asaah Asiedu is a fifth-year medical student at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba. She is passionate about specializing in pediatric emergency medicine, driven by her commitment to holistic patient care and healthcare improvement. Esthelle is dedicated to making a lasting impact on the lives of young patients and their families, aspiring to be a catalyst for positive change both locally and globally.

The Surge of MPOX in Africa: A Call for Action

Professor Nicaise Ndembi , Senior Adviser, to the Director-General of the Africa CDC, Adjunct Professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore and Editor-in-Chief the Journal of Public Health in Africa (#JPHIA).

Status of Rural Healthcare in the USA

Dr. Don Henderson has taught courses in Healthcare Administration at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level for the past three years. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Doctor of Healthcare Administration program based at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, FL.
Prior to this, he was a hospital executive with over 30 years of experience in the field as both a hospital CEO and regional health system Vice President. He has extensive experience in all areas of health system operations including leadership, organization,  business development, physician relations, fundraising, advocacy, and government relations. 

His prior community service includes service to the boards of numerous local charities including the American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, United Way, Hospice, economic development organizations, and the Florida Hospital Association. More recently, he served as a Florida Regent (elected representative) to the national Congress of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), and he also is a Fellow (Board-certified) of that organization.

Maternal Mortality in Ghana

John K. Duah, DHA, MPH, MA, is an Assistant Professor at Auburn University, focusing on healthcare policy, management, and leadership. His research areas of interest are public health preparedness, health systems response, and maternal, infant, and child health.