Esther Ogunbi

Nigerian public health pioneer who eradicated yaws disease across West Africa through innovative vaccination campaigns

Esther Ogunbi (1910-1968) was a Nigerian physician and epidemiologist whose relentless efforts led to the eradication of yaws disease in West Africa. Trained at the University College Hospital Ibadan, she became Nigeria's first female tropical disease specialist after completing postgraduate studies in London during the 1930s. Her 1943 discovery of the yaws bacteria's transmission patterns through soil contamination revolutionized prevention strategies.

In 1952, Dr. Ogunbi launched the landmark West African Yaws Eradication Project, mobilizing over 5,000 community health workers to administer penicillin treatments. Her community-based vaccination model, documented in her 1957 book Combatting Tropical Endemics, achieved a 98% eradication rate in Nigeria within five years. By 1965, the World Health Organization adopted her methods across 14 African nations, eliminating yaws from the continent entirely by 1970.

Her work pioneered the use of mobile health units and community health workers, concepts still central to modern disease control. The Esther Ogunbi Memorial Hospital in Lagos continues her mission today. WHO tribute page highlights her contributions. Though often overshadowed by male contemporaries, her methodologies remain a cornerstone of public health strategy in tropical regions.