Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh was one of the two recipients of the Pride Nigeria Jewel of Inestimable Value Award at the recently concluded Pride Nigeria Women Conference 2017. The other recipient was Dr. Mrs. Maryam Babangida.
The Jewel of Inestimable Value is awarded by the Pride Nigeria Awards Committee to any person living or dead who has contributed in no small measure to the betterment of the the human race.
Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh was the Lead Consultant physician and endocrinologist at a First Consultants Medical Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. Though Dr. Adadevoh had never come across Ebola during her years of practice, she was able to diagnose, contain, and resist pressure from officials to release Nigeria’s first-ever Ebola patient in July 2014 at the hospital, a Liberian national who brought the Ebola virus to the country. Dr. Adadevoh quarantined him, made contact with State and Federal authorities, and ensured the provision of protective materials and Ebola educational material to hospital staff.
Dr. Adadevoh was born in Lagos in October 1956. Her father, Babatunde Kwaku Adadevoh, was a renowned professor of chemical pathology and former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos. Her paternal great-grandfather was the Nigerian nationalist Herbert Macaulay (himself the grandson of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican bishop). Her maternal grandfather was the first cousin of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of Nigeria. Dr. Adadevoh graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Lagos College of Medicine. She subsequently completed her Fellowship in Endocrinology at Hammersmith Hospital of Imperial College London. She worked at First Consultants Medical Centre for twenty-one years, and was a member of the Nigerian Medical Association, Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Endocrine and Metabolism Society of Nigeria, among others.
Dr. Adadevoh’s actions resulted in the Nigerian government mobilising the necessary resources to deal with the Ebola outbreak. The government was able to successfully trace all possible contacts from the index patient, and contained the spread of the virus. The World Health Organization declared Nigeria Ebola-free on October 20th 2014. There were 20 Ebola cases total, which resulted in eight deaths, including the death of Dr. Adadevoh.
Dr. Adadevoh’s sacrifice prevented a national catastrophe in a country of 190 million people. Her keen perception, courage, steadfastness and heroic efforts make her indeed a Jewel of Inestimable Value.
