Bill Gates Foundation awards Nigerian professor $2.5m grant

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Lagos, Bose Afolabi, a grant of $2.5 million for research.

In a statement by the University, the principal investigator, Ms Afolabi will lead a multicentre study which will run the research for three years (November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2023).

The don seeks to research anaemia among pregnant women with her project titled “Intravenous Versus Oral Iron for Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Pregnant Nigerian Women (IVON): a randomized controlled trial.”

“The study will be conducted in 10 hospitals within Lagos and Kano States and it will recruit a total of 1,056 women at 20-32 weeks gestational age, who are diagnosed as having anaemia at the antenatal clinics of the hospitals,” UNILAG noted.

“In addition to the international collaborations and partnerships which the study will facilitate between UNILAG and other universities in the US and Europe, it will also contribute to local human capacity development with the sponsorship of junior faculty for postgraduate training,” the statement added.

According to her biography reeled out by the University of Lagos in its statement, Ms Afolabi is reputed for her research and lectures on sickle cell pregnancy.  She has an interest in maternal and fetal medicine, minimal access (laparoscopic) surgery and medical education.

She is also a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists UK, West African College of Surgeons, and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.