Bio-bibliography

Gambia

Ebrahim M. Samba

1992 Balzan Prize for Preventive Medicine

For his leadership in the fight against Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) in West Africa. Through the World Health Organization’s Onchocerciasis Control Programme, which he directed, hundreds of thousands of humans have been protected against the disease and so prevented from becoming blind. Due to its success, this programme has made the repopulation of large fertile areas of land possible, thus having a decisive impact on the socio-economic situation of the participating countries.

EBRAHIM MALICK SAMBA was born in December 1932 (†2016) at Sarakunda, The Gambia (West Africa);
he is a national of The Gambia;
entered school at the age of 14, he completed the primary education in 4 years (instead of 7) and the secondary school in 2 years;
qualified for university studies (British type) in 1949;
obtained in 1953 his B.Sc. degree (sciences) at the University of Legon, Accra in Ghana; from 1953 to 1959 National University of Ireland, M.B. and B.S. degrees (medicine): from 1960 to 1963 Royal Infirmary, University of Edinburgh, FRCS degree in surgery; became a Public Health Officer in 1961, then in the Medico-surgical Service in 1968, and finally, Director of Medical Services of The Gambia in 1974;
founding member of the West African College of Surgeons arid the West African Post Graduate Medical College (1974-1978);
Acting Director of the WHO Regional Office for Africa from 1984 to 1985; since 1980, Director of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP).
Apart from publishing articles on the subjects of public health and primary health care earlier in his career, Ebrahim M. Samba has more recently published or co-authored the following articles:
– Senghor J.E. e E.M. Samba. Onchocerciasis control: The Human Perspective. “Parasitology Today”. 4, 332-333 (1988);
– OCP Intercountry collaboration. “Acta Leidensia”, Vol. 59, 383-386 (1990);
– Onchocerciasis control in regard to PHC/BHS. “Acta Leidensia”, Vol. 59, 61-78 (1990);
– Brown K.R., Duke B.O.L., Ginger C.D., Gutteridge W.E., Le Berre R., Overbosch D., Remme J., Samba E.M., van der Kaay H.J. e Waish J.F. Symposium on onchocerciasis: Conclusions and recommendations. “Acta Leidensia”, Vol. 59, 443-456 (1990);
– Remme J., De Sole G., Dadzie K.Y., Alley E.S., Baker R.H.A., Habbema J.D.F., Plaisier van Oortmarssen G.J. e Samba E.M. Large-scale use of ivermectin and its epidemiological consequences. “Acta Leidensia”. Vol. 59, 177-192 (1990).
Di prossima pubblicazione è il seguente libro:
– The Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa and its management: A lesson in Public Health.

(October 1992)