Nigerian Scientist is admitted to the Board of Global Health Research
Written by Emma Okocha
Thursday, 19 March 2009


"For wise men nothing that exists, remains unseen; only the artists, not the fool Discovers that which nature hides.’’ — Filippo Brunelleschi, seminal figure of the Renaissance.
“I work for the BBC World Service Radio programme, Outlook. We’re a daily human interest programme with a 42 million audience spread around the globe.


•Professor Cyril EnwonwuI’m putting together a piece about Noma, and was wondering if I might be able to have a chat with you about Noma, today or tomorrow.’’
—Alex Mansfield, BBC World Service, 805 CB Bush House, Strand, London.

“Oro- facial noma, often referred to simply as noma, is the disease known as the ‘cancrum oris’. Noma from the Greek verb, which means ‘to devour’, is a facial gangrene that develops inside the mouth and spreads rapidly to the surface of the face. Victims appear as though their faces are literally being eaten from the inside out.’’
—Professor Cyril Enwonwu, DDS, ScD, Phd, to America Mi Dream, on his return from his Sokoto field study, Summer, 2005.

“Noma is a dreaded scourge that devours the faces of its young victims, particularly in developing countries but is easily preventable with proper nourishment and oral health care.
Often called the ‘Face of Poverty’, it typifies diseases that result from complex interactions of malnutrition, infections, compromised immunity and inflammation.

Enwonwu’s work on diseases from malnutrition is beneficial to extremely impoverished people in sub - Saharan Africa, Asia , South Africa and the Caribbeans.’’ — The Voice, University of Maryland Magazine.

The British Press was livid and would not put up with it. It was enough pain for any Blackman in1956, to walk into the Buckingham Palace and be readily accepted by the blue eyes and the blue of blood. More than enough angst, when the upstart with all audacity, requested Her Royal Majesty to be his guest.

What! The Queen of England, the Empress that owned the waves, the lands that saw no sunset, was considering an invitation to honor a plebeian with her Royal presence? That would be the end of the world!

The Royal family had little options. Whether the British Press was going to fry in envy, or nod in reverence, the artist was not the type that grazed in common. For Ben Enwonwu like Picasso, Filippo Brunelleschi were iconic artists, born with exceptional gifts, who impacted their era, creating their own universe next to God.

Without gravitas, Africa’s greatest sculptor and woodpecker insisted, that the Queen of England broke Royal protocol. Ben Enwonwu’s private invitation would be the first to be honored by the Royal Family to any Blackman!

Her Majesty would arrive his Hampstead, London studios. He would sit her down and she would show her legs.

Her Royal Majesty would be reproduced, and cast on iron and bracelets. That beautiful work which was displayed in front of the old colonial Lagos Parliament, would add to the memorable and numerous masterpieces of the avatar.

While, the late Ben Enwonwu mingled with royalty and shared a common garden with the US Ambassador’s residence in Ikoyi, his nephew and protege, Professor Cyril Enwonwu made the laboratory his second home.

Cyril Enwonwu may be to the pure sciences what his uncle was to the arts. One of the few scientists to bag a Doctor of Science after a PhD at MIT, [others, include mathematician, Chike Obi, Physicist, and former Edo State University VC at Ekpoma, Prof. Awele Maduemezia] will not only mingle with the rich and mighty, he will from now, assume greater influence as he labors to save the poor from one of the world’s ugly and disfiguring diseases still on the rampage in Sub -Sahara Africa.

A well published scientist, this professor of Dental Medicine will combine his proficient knowledge in Medicine, Biochemical Nutrition to tackle the disease, which has for centuries worsted humanity.

With his recent selection to join the Paul Rogers Board of Global Research, he has the influence to persuade and lobby for more US and the likes of Bill and the Melinder Gates Foundation funds for disease control in Africa. Preparing for a Congressional invitation of which he is slated to meet with Senator Barbara Mikulski and other members of the US Congress, Professor Cyril Enwonwu disclosed to our correspondent that he is going to the Senate to advise the Congress to increase funding for health projects in Africa.

“The Obama administration has some encouraging increase for Africa health issues, but we are pressing for more funds, as the African situation requires emergency intervention if the diseases in that continent, mainly caused by malnutrition will be contained.’’ He stressed that most of the diseases afflicting the African masses can be traced to excessive malnutrition.

Breaking down the categories, Dr. Enwonwu observed that the major diseases of Malaria, Measles, Tuberculosis, etc, have tended to explode to epidemic proportions, when the the victims are the uneducated, low income, and when the area under attack are peopled by a lot of minorities.

He argued “how many children of Nigerian entrepreneurs, politicians, doctors and lawyers suffer from malaria, measles and tuberculosis?’

He is alarmed that “a new two pronged health problem is about to hit the continent.’’ Dr Enwonwu stated that “while we are battling malnutrition as a result of excess deficiency of nutrients, there is a lurking danger in the horizon. In the urban areas and the major cities of Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna and Benin City, there is little or no difference between men and women.’’

He declared, there is a nutrition transition from the west to Africa. Suddenly we are observing a situation of “too much to eat’’ and this obesity epidemic is prevalent in the urban areas, right now, he observed that,’’ men are like their wives and are walking around pregnant.’’

This a dangerous crossroad, he warned. Dr. Enwonwu explained, “this uneducated very rich class, eat the foreign food, drink all sorts of rubbish, with a lot of chemicals, but have no gyms, and do not exercise like their western counterparts.’’

The tragedy, according to the health scientist is that ‘’our people regard the pregnant man as very healthy individual.’’

Observing, that we have more men dying within this urban rising class, Dr. Enwonwu noted that these class of urban dwellers are discarding their African food and way of life while at the same time, embracing the lifestyle changes of the west.

We had in 2005, accosted him on his return from the hot desert temperatures of Sokoto, and learned of his passion and his dedication to fighting, and possibly wiping out the scourge of Noma from the faces of the afflicted, very poor population of Nigeria’s far north. He explained that Noma “is the disease that strikes the very youngest, most vulnerable members of a population.

The disease progresses quickly from an intraoral inflammation to a grotesque oro-facial gangrene. Victims, who range in age, from infancy to 6 years, mostly do not survive.

The disease has a 70- 90 percent mortality rate, if not treated promptly with antibiotics and oral antiseptic. Much of the research and international attention given to the disease emanated from studies and publications by Professor Cyril Enwonwu who is a professor and researcher in the University of Maryland Department of Biomedical Sciences.

He told our correspondent that, he led the investigations, collaborating with scientists from the World Health Organization and the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research Lagos, ‘’when the US National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research initiated, a four year grant to study the causes, treatment and prevention of the disease.’’ His research collaborators include, William A. Falkler Jr. MS, PhD., Christine Ferrell, DDS, and Reshma Phillips, PhD.

Falkler, who lectures in the Department of Biomedical Science, has been working for nearly 30 years on oral microorganisms that are involved in fusospirochetal diseases such as noma.

Historically, noma was found in Europe and parts of the United States many generations ago. However, improved standards of hygiene and nutrition eradicated the disease.

The last known cases in Europe were seen in concentration camps during World War11. Today, it is predominantly a disease of sub-Saharan Africa, and annual infection rates for noma reach estimates of over 100, 000 people.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/31349/136/

My brother has made it again. Excellent rebranding for Ndigbo

Good job doc

hhahhhhaha

grab up glasss

cheeeeeeeers!!

I like to see achievers like this. Excellent work, sir.

Good one Cyril.

Nigeria we hail theee

Congratulations !

Now this is what i call REBRANDING - and not the nonsense dora is doing