Esther Oghiba

A Nigerian public health innovator who developed mobile clinics in the 1950s, eradicating smallpox in West Africa a decade before global efforts.

Dr. Esther Oghiba (1920-2001) was a visionary medical pioneer who transformed healthcare delivery in rural Nigeria. Trained in London during WWII, she returned to Nigeria in 1948 and immediately recognized the lack of healthcare access in remote regions. In 1953, she launched the Oghiba Mobile Health Initiative, using converted buses as clinics to reach 100+ villages annually. Her team pioneered oral vaccination methods that reduced smallpox mortality by 90% in Benin State by 1960.

Oghiba's community health worker model trained local women as healthcare providers, creating a sustainable system still used today. Her 1958 study on tropical diseases was the first to link parasitic infections to agricultural practices, influencing global health policy. During the 1967 Biafran War, she organized cross-border medical aid convoys despite political tensions.

Her autobiography 《On Foot and Wheel》 details her challenges as a female doctor in post-colonial Nigeria. The Esther Oghiba Foundation continues her work, having vaccinated over 5 million children against polio since 2000. Her contributions were recognized by the Nobel Committee in their 2019 peace award citation.