MWAZ received an award for hosting the conference that turned out to be a very well attended, educative and enriching experience for all the delegates. This was made possible through the membership of MWAZ led by it’s execute chaired by its national president ,Dr Joyce Sakala . All the delegates, partners and sponsors that came on board made the congress a success.
The Regional Vice President For MWIA Near East and Africa, Dr Claribel Abam ,received a recognition award for her Leadership role in the growth of the region.
Dr Claribel Abam is a Public Health Physician with over 45 years working experience in medicine. Her expertise is in epidemiology, public health, and management of primary health care systems. She served in Rivers State, Nigeria as the State Epidemiologist, Director of Public Health and later the Executive Secretary of the Primary Health Care Management Board responsible for over 345 Primary Care Facilities. She is a researcher with several publications.
In the medical profession, she was the first ever female Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Rivers State from 2005-2007 and was admitted into its Role of Honour in 2014. As Chairman of NMA Rivers State, she laid the foundation stone for the construction of the current NMA House. She also served in NMA National Committees on International Health, Immunization and Medical jurisprudence in 2006, 2008, and 2015 respectively.
She was Rivers State President 1988-1991 and later the National President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) 2007-2009. As MWAN President, she established the Technical Working Committee which commenced the alignment of MWAN programs with the National Health Plan and Programmes of Nigeria. MWAN gained recognition and became a partner in national health programs and policy development activities.
MWAN is an affiliate of the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) where she currently serves as the Vice President for one of its eight regions – The Near East and Africa Region. In this capacity, she has recorded the formation and registration of Lesotho Medical Women’s Association. South Africa is currently in the process of setting up a National Association. She has encouraged visibility for work being done by medical women in the region through regular publications in MWIA Update. She is also the Chairman of its Ethics and Resolutions Committee for 2023-2025 having earlier served as member of same committee as well as the Finance committees of MWIA for at least three previous triennials.
She has also represented MWAN and MWIA at the annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York in 2015, 2018 and 2024 where MWIA and MWAN enjoy consultative status and contribute to resolutions regarding women’s health globally.
She is a Knight of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Anglican Communion and a holder of the Justice of Peace title in Nigeria.