WHO Honors Late Professor Gottlieb Lobe Monekosso for Lifetime of Global Health Leadership

Late Professor Gottlieb Lobe Monekosso was honoured with a WHO award this Friday, April 26th, 2024.

The award was presented to Professor Monekosso’s wife, Grâce Monekosso, at her residence in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon.

Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachie, was in Buea to hand over the award.

Prof. Monekosso passed away on November 19th, 2017, at the age of 89, in Douala, Littoral Region of Cameroon.

He was laid to rest nearly two months later, on January 13th, 2024.

Life of an icon

Prof. Monekosso remains one of the most inspiring and iconic health practitioners that Cameroon has ever had.

Professor Gottlieb Lobe Monekosso was born on November 13, 1928. He was proficient in English, French, functional Spanish, as well as his mother tongue, Douala, and Yoruba. He attended Methodist primary and secondary schools in Lagos, Nigeria, before pursuing his medical studies at Guy’s Hospital Medical School in the United Kingdom. He distinguished himself by winning the University of London Sanderson-Wells Prize for Nutrition in 1951.

After graduation, he gained valuable experience at Guy’s Hospital and University College Hospital, Ibadan. He furthered his qualifications in the UK, obtaining membership of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, a postgraduate degree of Doctor of Medicine of London, and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, all in 1957.

Prof. Monekosso held various academic positions in Nigeria, Uganda, and Jamaica before returning to Africa as the founding dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He later served as the founding dean and director of the University Centre for Health Sciences (CUSS) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Throughout his career, Prof. Monekosso contributed significantly to medical education, practice, and research in Africa and beyond. He undertook numerous international assignments and played key roles in organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Federation of Neurology.

Prof. Monekosso’s work encompassed a wide range of medical disciplines, from clinical practice to public health, epidemiology, and health management. He published extensively on various topics, including tropical diseases, community health, and national health development strategies.

In 1985, Prof. Monekosso assumed the role of Regional Director for Africa at WHO, where he spearheaded initiatives to accelerate health development in the region, with a focus on primary health care.

He later served as Minister of Public Health in his home country from 1997 to 2000.

Throughout his illustrious career, Prof. Monekosso remained dedicated to improving health outcomes and advancing medical knowledge, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the field of global health.

Mimi Mefo Info