Adetokunbo Lucas

Adetokunbo Oluwole Lucas (1931 – 25 December 2020) was a Nigerian doctor who was considered a global leader in tropical diseases.[1] Born in Lagos, he was educated in the United Kingdom and commenced his professional career in Nigeria.[2] Lucas received the Prince Mahidol Award in 1999 for his support of strategic research on the tropical diseases. He served for ten years as the Director of Special Programmes for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases based at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.[3] He was Adjunct Professor of International Health Department of Global Health and Population of the Harvard School of Public Health. Lucas worked largely in his home nation of Nigeria and traveled frequently to the United Kingdom and to the Harvard School of Public Health in the United States.

Adetokunbo Oluwole Lucas
Born1931
Lagos, Nigeria
Died (aged 89)
Ibadan, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
CitizenshipNigeria
Alma materDurham University (1956)
Known forTropical Disease Research, Global Health
AwardsInstitute of Medicine, USA

Fellow, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Prince Mahidol Award (1999)
Scientific career
FieldsGlobal Health
InstitutionsUniversity of Ibadan
Harvard School of Public Health

Early life and education

Lucas was born and raised in Lagos Island.[4] His father was the Nigerian educator, Olumide Lucas.[5] He attended St. Paul School and King's College Lagos for his primary and secondary education. He studied medicine at Durham University, England, graduating with honours in 1956, followed by postgraduate training in internal medicine and public health.[6][7]

He was a Professor of internal medicine and public health in University of Ibadan, Nigeria, from 1960 to 1976, after which he directed the Tropical Diseases Research Program of the World Health Organization for ten years, from 1976 to 1986. He later became involved in maternal and child health programs and worked to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality. He was named Professor of International Health at Harvard University in 1990, which position is held in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he remains an adjunct professor in population health in the Department of Global Health and Population. He continued to serve on numerous expert and advisory committees for national and international organisations involved to international health issues. Such institutions include the Rockefeller Foundation, the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, the Carter Center, and the Wellcome Trust Scientific Group on Tropical Medicine. He also chaired the Global Forum for Health Research.

Publications

Lucas was the author of numerous books and articles in refereed public health journals

  • A Short Textbook of Preventive Medicine for the Tropics (University Medicine Texts) (1984)[8]
  • Short Textbook of Public Health Medicine for the Tropics, 4Ed (2002)[9]
  • It Was the Best of Times: From Local to Global Health (2010, Autobiography published in Africa)[10][11][12][13]
  • The Man: Adetokunbo Lucas (2011 Biography)[14]

Honors

Lucas was a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and was one of the first foreign associates of the Institute of Medicine. He has received honorary degrees from Emory University, Tulane University, and University of Ibadan; and Harvard University has bestowed academic honours upon him. He was a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and one of the first foreign associates of the IOM (Institute of Medicine).

He was a recipient of the Prince Mahidol Award (1999), based in Thailand (jointly with Harvard Medical School graduate Dr. R. Palmer Beasley of the United States and Dr. Tore Godal of Norway)[15] ,the Centenary Medal for Life-Time Achievements in Tropical Medicine(2007)[16] and of the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) (5 March 2013).[17]

Personal life

Lucas was married and had four children.[1] He died on 25 December 2020, aged 89, at his home in Ibadan, Nigeria.[1]

References
  1. "Adetokunbo Lucas Obituary". Legacy.com. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. Targett, Geoffrey (4 January 2021). "In Memoriam: Professor Adetokunbo Lucas (1931-2020)". The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. AMREF minibio Archived 5 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "NFID" (PDF).
  5. "I served WHO for 10 years but was never absent from work for a day –86-year-old Prof. Lucas". The Punch. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  6. "Adetokunbo Lucas - Global Health Metrics and Evaluation Conference". ghme.org.
  7. "Improving Birth Outcomes". 23 October 2018. doi:10.17226/10841. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Lucas, A. O.; Gilles, Herbert M. (1 February 1984). "A Short Textbook of Preventive Medicine for the Tropics". Hodder Arnold – via Amazon.
  9. Lucas, Adetokunbo; Gilles, Herbert (31 October 2002). "Short Textbook of Public Health Medicine for the Tropics, 4Ed". CRC Press – via Amazon.
  10. Nigeria Health Watch article on 2010 publication Archived 22 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  11. "2010 – 2011". 1 October 2012.
  12. "Dean's Distinguished Lecture Series 10/27/10". webapps.sph.harvard.edu.
  13. GoogleBooks reference page for this book published in Africa, Bookbuilders, Editions Africa, 2010; ISBN 9789788088998, 616 pages
  14. Awe, Bolanle; Olurin, Oyinade; Oyediran, A. B. O. O; Lucas, Adetokunbo O (1 January 2011). "The man: Adetokunbo Lucas". BookBuilders. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  15. "Prince Mahidol Award biography of Dr. Lucas". Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  16. "Previous medal winners | Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene". Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  17. "Tropical disease expert Adetokunbo Lucas wins humanitarian award". 29 January 2013.
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