Shining a spotlight on the immense contribution black leaders have made to healthcare worldwide
As quickly as always, another year has passed and we have reached the wonderful time that is Black History Month - a month-long celebration in October of the priceless contribution black people have made to the world.
BHM has been celebrated in the UK since Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo got the ball rolling on 1 October 1987 by holding the first BHM event at London County Hall.
Over the decades that have passed since, we have continued to mark this month as a time of remembrance and joyous celebration.
Here at UHDB, we are a diverse melting pot of many cultures and so we will be celebrating this throughout October by spending each week learning more about Black culture and identity.
This week, we're going to focus on the immense contribution black people have made to healthcare by shining a spotlight on just some of the black leaders who have really made a difference in this field. You can find out more about each of them by clicking the links under their profiles below.
Dr Bola Owolabi
Dr Owolabi is a respected member of the NHS that has held positions of leadership at local, system and national levels. A Midlands-based GP that has worn many hats; Dr Bola is now servicing the community in the role of Director of Health Inequalities at NHSE.
Dr Bola Owolabi.pdf [pdf] 23KB
Dr Annabel Sowemimo
Dr Sowemimo is an NHS registrar currently practicing in the Midlands with an interest in the reduction of sexual health inequality. Dr Sowemimo has advocated for the sexual health of ethnic minority women on a myriad of platforms in the digital space and is a resident contributor to Gal-dem Magazine with her Decolonising Healthcare column.
Dr Annabel Sowemimo.pdf [pdf] 107KB
Dr Olamide Dada
Dr Dada is an award-winning junior doctor who recently graduated in the summer of 2021. Amongst her many notable achievements, she reigns as the founder of Melanin Medics, a registered charity that is home to the largest intergenerational network of African and Caribbean doctors of past and present.
Dr Olamide Dada.pdf [pdf] 71KB
Dr Denis Mukwege
Dr Mukwege is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the pioneer behind the Mukwege foundation, a charity that champions and fights for victims of sexual assault. The ultimate mission of the organisation is to aid in the creation of a world in which sexual violence as a weapon of war is no longer tolerated.
Dr Denis Mukwege.pdf [pdf] 74KB
Dr Kaylita Chantiluke
Dr Chantiluke is a UK trained paediatrician now based in Melbourne, Australia. After practicing as a paediatric registrar Down Under, Dr Kaylita, alongside a team of international colleagues, began the Skin Deep initiative, in a bid to compile a library of images shedding light on the different presentations of paediatric dermatological conditions in a range of skin tones.
Dr Kaylita Chantiluke.pdf [pdf] 78KB
Upcoming events for NHS colleagues to attend
NHSE Midlands are inviting NHS staff to attend this webinar on MS Teams, where you will be able to hear from colleagues about what actions and interventions they have implemented at their Trust to support and improve the lives of Black colleagues.
LGBTQIA+ charity Stonewall are holding this open workshop to better understand what challenges Black LGBTQIA+ people can face at work and what we can all do to be a better ally to Black LGBTQIA+ people.