Dr. Chidiebere Christopher Ajunwa, M.B.B.S., FISIE

Experience & Activities

Dr. Chidiebere Christopher Ajunwa is an internationally recognized physician, infectious disease specialist, and public-health leader whose work has advanced infectious disease control, epidemic preparedness, outbreak response, and healthcare-system resilience across Nigeria and West Africa. His career spans clinical medicine, public-health emergency management, infectious disease surveillance, humanitarian health missions, and international epidemic-response operations, with contributions that have strengthened disease prevention, outbreak containment, and public-health preparedness for millions of people.

Dr. Ajunwa earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) and has built more than two decades of professional experience in infectious disease management, healthcare delivery, and public-health emergency response. He has served in key capacities within the Rivers State Ministry of Health and the Rivers State Hospital Management Board, where he has contributed significantly to disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, healthcare-worker protection, outbreak preparedness, and emergency-response coordination.

His expertise became particularly prominent during major infectious disease emergencies. During the 2014 Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Nigeria, Dr. Ajunwa served on the Rivers State Ebola Emergency Operations Center Case Management Team, contributing to medical diagnosis, treatment, contact tracing, infection-control implementation, personnel training, and outbreak-response activities that supported Nigeria’s successful Ebola containment efforts. His work formed part of the coordinated public-health response that contributed to the World Health Organization’s declaration of Nigeria as Ebola-Free in October 2014.

Beyond Nigeria, Dr. Ajunwa contributed to international Ebola response efforts through the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) mission in Liberia, where he participated in infection-control implementation, patient management, emergency medical response, disease surveillance, and community health interventions. He was subsequently recognized by both the African Union Commission and the Government of Liberia for his contributions to epidemic control and public-health protection. His expertise was further utilized through international health-service deployment in Sierra Leone, supporting disease-control and healthcare-delivery initiatives across West Africa.

Dr. Ajunwa has also played an important role in strengthening healthcare-system resilience during public-health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic and Lassa Fever response activities. Through workforce training, healthcare-facility preparedness, infection-control implementation, and surveillance strengthening, he has helped improve the capacity of healthcare institutions to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging infectious disease threats.

His contributions have received independent national and international recognition through governmental commendations, professional honors, international public-health service awards, and repeated recognition for his leadership in infectious disease control, Ebola containment, outbreak preparedness, healthcare-worker protection, and public-health emergency response. These recognitions reflect the sustained impact and significance of his contributions to public health and epidemic preparedness.

As a Fellow of the Institute of STEM Innovation and Excellence (ISIE), Dr. Ajunwa is recognized for his outstanding contributions to infectious disease control, epidemic preparedness, disease surveillance, healthcare-system strengthening, and public-health emergency management. His work exemplifies the application of medical expertise, public-health innovation, and evidence-based disease-control strategies to address global challenges in epidemic preparedness, outbreak response, health security, and population health protection.