Dr. Okwor is a seasoned public and occupational health expert with a specialization in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and infection prevention and control (IPC). She has over two decades of leadership experience in infectious diseases, IPC, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). She has played key roles in global, regional, and national IPC, AMR, and infectious diseases strategic policy development and implementation. She played a pioneering role in the institutionalization of Nigeria's IPC framework, covering policy development, human resources mapping, technical content development, and resource mobilization. She developed the first strategy aimed at the institutionalization of IPC in Nigeria, using a phased approach to set up and support IPC committees and teams at the state and local health facility levels. Dr. Okwor is skilled in building coalitions and networks among several stakeholders in the public and private sectors in Nigeria, including governments and other health partners. She is also an accomplished author of various peer-reviewed articles, guidelines, and edited books on topics such as IPC, AMR, Ebola, COVID-19, Lassa fever, Ebola, and Cholera.
EDUCATION
University of Essex, Essex, England
Postgraduate Certificate in Infection Control
March 2021
National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Nigeria
Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health (FMCPH)
September 2015
University of Manchester, Manchester, England
Masters in Occupational Medicine (MSc Occ. Med.)
October 2012
University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
Masters in Public Health (MPH)
July 2003
University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu, Nigeria
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB BS)
September 1996
KEY MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES, TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS and BOARDS
● Chair Nigeria AMR Coordination Committee. February 2020-Date
● Co-chair Expert Panel Technical Working Group for the Development of the Africa Agenda for UNGA High Level Meeting on AMR in 2024. August 2023-date.
● Working group member NEONET Africa. August 2023 – Date
● Faculty member Centre for Infection Control and Patient Safety (CICaPS) College of Medicine, University of Lagos Nigeria.
● Supervisory board member Access to Medicine Foundation November 2022- Date
● Member WHO GDG on Ebola -June 2022- Date
● Co-Chair World Health Organisation Monkeypox Clinical Management and Infection Prevention and Control Guideline Development Group (2022- Date).
● Co-Chair Infection Prevention and Control Technical Working Group of the Africa CDC Task Force on the Novel Corona Virus (2020 – 2022). The work done by this TWG has been published in three peer reviewed articles.
● Member Center for Global Development (CGD) Working Group: A New Social Contract for Purchasing Antimicrobials: Improving Purchasing Systems to Enhance Access, Stewardship, and Innovation for Antimicrobials in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) (2022- Date).
● Member Africa Centre for Disease Control Expert Panel Technical Working Group on Validation of the Legal Framework for Infection Prevention and Control (2021 – Date).