The primary black feminine Commissioner of the Chicago Division of Public Well being, Dr Olusimbo Ige, speaks with GODFREY GEORGE AND OGHENOVO EGODO-MICHAEL about her profession and different points
Can you share with us your formative years in Nigeria and what impressed you to pursue a profession in public well being?
I used to be born and raised in Ibadan, Oyo State. My father was a lecturer on the College of Ibadan, whereas my mom was a principal. I grew up within the educational neighborhood and we lived on the college campus however we had been very uncovered to the realities round us. I grew up in a household of about 15 – 20 individuals as a result of most of the individuals from our village who needed to go to high school needed to stay in our residence. I bought uncovered to the fact of individuals looking for healthcare regardless that they might not afford it. In my household, we had a lot of individuals with Sickle Cell illness who we misplaced even at a young age. I additionally noticed individuals die from typhoid at a really younger age. I used to be serious about drugs due to these experiences. I began my journey on the College School Hospital in Ibadan and after I went for my Youth Service, I realised that prevention is vital. Once I arrived at work, there could be over 200 individuals ready, and all of them had been principally sick of preventable diseases. I selected public well being as a result of I watched individuals die round me as they couldn’t afford to maintain themselves. In my expertise learning drugs and through my youth service, I noticed individuals who couldn’t afford healthcare die, and that impressed my choice to enter public well being.
What had been essentially the most vital challenges you confronted whereas relocating from Nigeria to the US?
The expression of well being points in each nations is totally different. The problems confronted in Nigeria are totally different from these confronted within the US. There are some related issues however many alternative issues. Having the ability to perceive the brand new context is among the quick issues I needed to do. I additionally needed to perceive that folks’s notion of the schooling requirements and the competencies of the overseas medical graduates is at all times a query. I needed to have the ability to distinguish myself as I do know that my academic background shouldn’t be inferior to others. Nonetheless, the largest problem is overcoming the very pervasive construction within the US. Individuals of color are sometimes seen as inferior. If in case you have an accent or look totally different, individuals simply suppose that you’re much less. So, for a really very long time in my early years, I had a variety of rejection however I spent a variety of time ensuring I had a really stable information of what was taking place round me, in order that after I made selections or suggestions, they had been primarily based on understanding of what’s actually taking place and the extra I used to be capable of do issues that labored, the extra appreciation and respect that I earned. In a short while, individuals began to recognise that I’m a pacesetter that is aware of what I’m doing, and that started to open extra doorways for me.
How did your experiences rising up in such a big household form your perspective on public well being and healthcare supply?
I’m one of many youngest in my household so having the ability to communicate up for myself was one thing that my mother and father inspired, regardless that I had siblings that had been approach older. My mother and father allowed me contribute to points, regardless that I used to be younger. I additionally had mother and father that believed very strongly in schooling and didn’t restrict a woman baby. My mother and father believed that regardless that you’re a girl, you must attain the very best stage of schooling, and we had been inspired to be the perfect that we may very well be and never put ourselves down as a result of we had been ladies. Due to my giant household, I used to be uncovered to totally different human beings, so after I got here to New York the place there are such a lot of varieties of individuals, I used to be capable of perceive different cultures and backgrounds. I used to be reminded that my tradition and background shouldn’t be the one approach, and that ready me to work in a multi-diverse and multi-cultural workforce.
What motivated you to maneuver overseas and proceed your schooling and profession in the US?
I needed to contribute to choice making and insurance policies. I discovered that in Nigeria, a variety of the work I used to be doing in public well being was decided in the US. The US decided who bought help. All of the vaccines we bought had been from the US or a US organisation and typically their view of what ought to occur shouldn’t be at all times related to actuality so, I needed to have the ability to carry the attitude of an African to choice making in a rustic that determines what occurs in lots of different nations. I considered what it could be like if somebody from one among these creating nations may very well be a part of the choice making in these developed nations. Once I moved to the US, I used to be working in international well being, supporting organisations in numerous nations and I might carry my understanding of that to the work. I might additionally carry my very own understanding of the realities of residing in a creating nation to the world. I simply needed to be part of the choice making and to have the ability to affect insurance policies globally. I needed the US to have the ability to study from us and know that there might be international studying that may affect issues regionally.
Are you able to describe your journey out of your preliminary roles in public well being to turning into the Commissioner of the Chicago Division of Public Well being?
All these occurred inside 10 years. I began my journey in UCH the place I studied drugs and did my internship and home job. Then I did my residency on the Division of Group Drugs. Once I completed my research there, I bought a job with the US Company for Worldwide Improvement as a administration capability constructing officer, so I labored with the Oyo State Division of Well being, and Ministry of Well being to design the malaria programme, and I did that for about 4 years then moved to the US. I moved to the US due to my household. Once I moved there, I considered what I might do within the US as an African so, I made a decision to do work associated to malaria. I lived in Nigeria and had labored with malaria for lengthy so, I bought a job as a senior supervisor for malaria in an organisation referred to as Encore and inside six months of being in that function, I used to be lucky sufficient to start out performing as a director, as a result of I might carry concepts of how we might make issues higher. I used to be requested to assist construct a world well being division due to a number of the concepts that I had apart from tackling malaria. So, I turned an govt director there in international ministries and in addition answerable for the work that was taking place in numerous nations. I then went on to develop into a Commissioner Assistant on the New York Metropolis Division of Well being. I had the privilege there throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to indicate that we might get vaccines to individuals of color and enhance their well being. Afterwards, I went on to develop into the Managing Director of Packages at one of many largest philanthropic foundations— Robert Wooden Johnson Basis, and it was whereas I used to be there that I used to be approached with this supply to develop into the Commissioner of the town of Chicago. That was due to the success I had in working with individuals of color, particularly in black communities, and there are a variety of these individuals in Chicago. So, that was the journey from Nigeria to Chicago
What does it imply to you to be the primary black lady to function commissioner on this function?
It implies that we mustn’t ever look down on ourselves or suppose that one thing is unattainable or out of attain for us. Ten years in the past, if somebody mentioned I’d have been a commissioner, I’d have laughed. However, I used to be very obsessed with demonstrating that black individuals might be wonderful leaders. We don’t at all times should be followers. I feel that’s what is thrilling to me as a result of it exhibits that as black individuals, even if you’re from a creating nation, you’ll be able to nonetheless be a pacesetter. I’m glad that I can encourage these coming behind me and encourage them that they are often efficient leaders despite the difficulties and challenges round us.
What are a number of the key initiatives you’ve got launched or plan to introduce as Commissioner to enhance public well being in Chicago?
There are some things we have now began to do. Once I began, one of many challenges that we had been dealing with was the migrant disaster. A number of migrants with totally different medical points had been coming to Chicago so, having the ability to reply to that was fairly a job however we’re proud to say we had been capable of management one of many largest measles outbreak within the US because of the work that we have now performed. One other instance was after we determined to take a look at the life expectancy for Chicago. The black neighborhood in Chicago doesn’t stay as lengthy and properly as the opposite communities in Chicago and we needed to know why. We began to see that the opioid overdose disaster is de facto impacting the black neighborhood so this summer season, we launched a summer season overdose security marketing campaign, and we did it door-to-door, knocking to get sources and companies to individuals. We’re very proud to say that we have now seen a drop within the variety of individuals dying of overdose in comparison with final 12 months and different areas the place we didn’t do that intervention.
One other factor is maternal and toddler mortality. We additionally came upon that in Chicago, black individuals die from pregnancy-related points at six occasions the speed in comparison with different racial teams, and we needed to seek out out why. Now, we’re intensifying our residence visitation programmes to make sure that we’re assembly those that have a better danger of issues at residence and never requesting them to come back to the hospital, in addition to ensuring we are able to display them correctly. We’re additionally HIV. We’ve lower than 600 instances however we additionally see that those that are most definitely creating and dying from HIV are principally black individuals and we’re already engaged on getting that to zero HIV instances by 2030. That requires us utilizing a special method coping with the black neighborhood and ensuring they’ve info and enough sources in coping with HIV. These are a number of the initiatives that impression the black and Latino neighborhood, and what we’re doing to unravel them.
What function do you suppose public well being leaders ought to play in addressing systemic racism and well being disparities?
I feel we must always acknowledge that it’s onerous for individuals who have been in energy to only voluntarily hand over that energy, and it’s simpler for us to exhibit the worth of shared management and energy. We aren’t asking individuals to deal with individuals of color locally higher however to deal with everybody higher. There are a lot of black individuals who gained medals within the Olympics as a result of they’d an enabling atmosphere to thrive and due to that, they’ve develop into a delight to the US. If everybody can obtain their full potential, the US could be higher for it and all of us could be contributing in good methods thereby, highlighting the advantages of a various thriving neighborhood that may make the US a greater nation.
In what methods do you suppose your background as a Nigerian and an immigrant has influenced your management type?
It’s usually mentioned that ‘Nigerians don’t carry final’. We at all times have the encouragement to do the perfect that we are able to. Many individuals suppose that Nigerians are aggressive and aggressive. I feel that Nigerians are educated to be the perfect that they are often, so we aren’t competing with anybody however ourselves. I feel that’s one lovable factor about Nigerians. Nigerians are probably the most educated immigrants within the US. We do very well right here and I’m very pleased with that. Nigerians actually respect and spend money on schooling and I feel that places us in good standing wherever we go.
Lastly, we’re a communal individuals the place everyone who’s doing properly is eager about serving to the neighborhood and different individuals. We’ve a tradition of looking for each other, and people are values which have helped me on this function.
How do you keep related to your roots in Nigeria, and what do you miss most concerning the nation?
My household, together with my mother and father and siblings, are in Nigeria. I nonetheless have households in Nigeria and I keep related to them by visiting periodically. What I actually miss essentially the most about Nigeria is the meals. I even have a really big community of mates and colleagues again in Nigeria that assist me keep up to date with what is going on.
What are your ideas on the present public well being and financial challenges in Nigeria?
We at all times need to get our priorities proper. Most of the issues we prioritise should not the issues that may assist with the development of the economic system and the nation. We have to additionally redefine the function of the federal government within the lives of the individuals. We’ve many people who find themselves specialists and professionals however even after we come again to Nigeria and say we wish to carry our experience, we don’t get help. We additionally don’t spend our cash on vital issues like schooling and well being. With out infrastructure, issues are onerous. When there was Ebola, there have been many professionals who knew what to do to regulate it. If there’s Mpox, there are lots of individuals who know what to do to regulate it however the experience doesn’t matter when there are not any sources to do the work.
Do you’ve got any plans or initiatives aimed toward enhancing public well being in Nigeria, given your experience and expertise?
What is de facto on prime of my thoughts is how we are able to empower the subsequent technology of public well being and medical professionals in Nigeria to thrive. It’s a little difficult when one is within the US and inspiring individuals to do higher in Nigeria, particularly as everyone desires to japa proper now, and I don’t blame them. Nonetheless, I feel that if there are methods we are able to help the brand new technology of medical professionals in Nigeria to enhance their abilities and information, that may be the area I wish to do extra. There are a lot of Nigerians right here who’re prepared to do issues at residence however their main limitation is safety issues and collaboration.
What recommendation would you give to younger Nigerian ladies aspiring to management roles in public well being or different fields?
My recommendation to individuals going into drugs, particularly ladies, is to watch out who they marry. The help of your future in drugs is dependent upon who you marry. It may be very difficult when you don’t have an understanding partner. Many ladies don’t get to their full potential as a result of their spouses snuff out their fireplace. As ladies, we must always perceive that we might be moms and wives and nonetheless be professionals. Those that are in management must also be prepared to assist those that are coming behind them as a result of all of us need assistance. Typically, it takes a village, however ladies may also be leaders wherever they’re and in no matter methods they resolve to be.
What have been essentially the most rewarding moments in your profession thus far and the way have you ever been capable of deal with setbacks?
I’d say one among my most rewarding moments was after I was with international ministries and we had an initiative to succeed in a million youngsters for an intervention throughout 50 nations in Africa and Asia. Once we bought to 1 million, it was essentially the most rewarding expertise, as a result of after we began, it appeared like an unattainable dream. It was the spotlight of my profession that we bought to 1 million youngsters, as a result of it was to say that we contributed to saving the lives of 1 million youngsters who would have died earlier than 5 if not for that intervention.
One other time was throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a testomony to the truth that change is feasible and we can assist save lives. That’s the energy of public well being— that we are able to save lives, and each life is value saving.
How do you unwind?
I’ve a really lovely household. I’ve a incredible husband with two youngsters and we actually take pleasure in spending time with each other. We go on trip and we like to inform our youngsters tales about Nigeria. Proper now, I attempt to train my children the Yoruba proverbs and Nigerian tradition, together with how we had tales by moonlight after we had been younger. We take pleasure in these moments collectively and taking holidays however we additionally benefit from the little issues of life. Simply taking a stroll all the way down to go and go to members of the family is an efficient strategy to unwind. We love music, films and exploring totally different sorts of meals.
What’s your favorite type of meals?
I take pleasure in consuming rice and beans as a result of I grew up as a twin. I even take pleasure in it higher after I eat the rice and beans with ayamase stew
How would you describe your vogue sense?
I feel Nigerians are very trendy individuals. Within the US, individuals are so informal however you’ll be able to by no means catch me in denims and sneakers at work. I take pleasure in dressing up and exhibiting up trying good. Most occasions when individuals see us as Nigerians, they suppose we’re exhibiting off, however we similar to to look good.
