Dr. Olabisi Oduwole, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Natural and Applied Sciences of the University, has been announced as the 2020 winner of the prestigious Aubrey Sheiham Leadership for Evidence-Based Healthcare in Africa Award. 

The award is managed by Cochrane South Africa (SA) and presented annually to a worthy African researcher to support the conduct of a Cochrane Review focusing on a priority topic with impact on the health of people living in low and middle-income countries. The award is in honour of late Aubrey Sheiham, a South African-born British academic, dental epidemiologist and emeritus professor Dental Public Health, School of Life and Medical Sciences at University College, London. The award is funded from an endowment by Sheiham and his wife, Helena Cronin.

According to a statement released by Cochrane in its November 2020 newsletter, by this award, Dr. Oduwole) is also expected to mentor “a novice author from Africa during the review process and, in so doing, develop capacity in research synthesis on the continent”. 

The award includes attendance at an annual Cochrane Colloquium; costs of face-to-face meetings for the awardee and mentee; costs of travel for periods of dedicated work time; and a period of stay at Cochrane SA or another appropriate site to work on the review she will undertake, titled “Antioxidant Supplementation for Sickle Cell Disease”.

Oduwole, speaking on the new feat, said, “The award will help my review team a great deal because we will be able to complete the review as scheduled. It’s my belief that our review topic is a very important one, and needs all the support and resources it can get.” According to her, her mentee, Dr. AbiolaBolarinwa, a Resident Doctor with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos, and other co-authors are healthcare providers with little dedicated time left for them to work on the review.

“Because of the Aubrey Sheiham EBHC in Africa Leadership Award, we will be able to have at least two face-to-face meetings that are convenient for both of us dedicated only to working on our review. I am also happy that Cochrane South Africa will support us all through the process of doing our review until completion,” she said.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Aje, while reacting to the good news, congratulated Oduwole, whom he described as “a hardworking but silent achiever”, for winning the award. “I congratulate you, on behalf of the Pro-Chancellor, Governing Council, Principal Officers and staff of the University, on this achievement. We wish you the best as you strive to more international limelight to Achievers University, Owo,” he said.