In public health, impact isn’t measured by numbers alone , it’s measured by lives saved, barriers broken, and systems changed. For Dr. Chioma Okerulu, a distinguished medical doctor and public health advocate, her work in HIV/AIDS prevention and maternal healthcare is not just a profession, it is a mission deeply rooted in personal experience and driven by an unwavering commitment to health equity in Africa.
Her initiative to integrate Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) into Nigeria’s HIV prevention system is reshaping maternal healthcare, ensuring that no child is born with HIV simply because their mother lacked access to care.
Dr. Okerulu’s commitment to HIV prevention in maternal healthcare was cemented by a tragic case early in her career. While volunteering at a rural medical outreach, she met a young boy suffering from severe complications of undiagnosed HIV. His mother had passed away, and his only caregiver, a teenage sibling, had struggled to access medical care for him. By the time he was diagnosed, it was too late.
His death was entirely preventable, if his mother had received Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services during pregnancy, he never would have been infected.
This moment changed Dr. Okerulu’s life forever. She realized that while medical advancements in HIV treatment had progressed, a critical gap remained: too many pregnant women in rural communities were still giving birth outside hospitals, attended by TBAs with no formal training in HIV prevention.
Nigeria has the fourth-highest HIV burden in the world, yet in many rural and underserved communities, TBAs remain the primary caregivers for pregnant women. Despite their crucial role, they often lack formal training in HIV prevention, infection control, and screening, making them an unintentional weak link in the fight against mother-to-child HIV transmission. To address this systemic gap, Dr. Okerulu and her team, in collaboration with the Delta State Agency for the Control of AIDS (DELSACA), spearheaded an innovative intervention under the ECEWS CDC SPEED project.
As the State Team Lead for Achieving Health Nigeria Initiative (AHNi), a consortium for the ECEWS CDC SPEED project, she led the implementation of a community-based mentorship program that trained TBAs in early HIV detection and prevention measures, provided them with serial HIV testing kits to integrate HIV screening into routine maternal care and established a referral system linking HIV-positive mothers to health facilities for immediate intervention.
From May 8–12, 2023, Dr. Chioma Okerulu and her team held an intensive, hands-on training program, covering Sapele, Okpe, Ethiope East, Ughelli North, and Warri South Local Government Areas.
The results were immediate and game-changing.TBAs were not just delivering babies ,they were actively preventing HIV transmission. Equipped with lifesaving knowledge and tools, they became community-based advocates, ensuring that every pregnant woman under their care had access to Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) services.
This initiative has increased maternal HIV testing rates in Delta State and created a sustainable referral network, ensuring HIV-positive mothers receive immediate medical care. It has also bridged the gap between traditional and formal healthcare systems, improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
By integrating non-traditional healthcare providers into structured disease prevention programs, Dr. Okerulu’s work offers a scalable, replicable model for public health interventions across Africa.
Dr. Okerulu is not just implementing solutions, she is shaping the future of public health policy.
Her strategic leadership, program design expertise, and commitment to healthcare system strengthening have positioned her as a leading voice in global HIV/AIDS prevention. An expert in maternal and child health interventions. A key player in national and international efforts to end mother-to-child HIV transmission.
Her work has been recognized by top public health organizations, policymakers, and international development agencies, reinforcing her status as an extraordinary leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
By reshaping maternal healthcare systems, building community-driven solutions, and pioneering sustainable HIV prevention models. Dr. Chioma Okerulu is driving a transformation that will impact generations to come.
