UNIMED’s School of Public Health named after former Minister, Pate

Authorities of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo City, Ondo State, Nigeria has named her new School of Public Health after a former Minister of State for Health and Executive Director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate.

UNIMED in a letter conveying the decision of the Senate explained that the former Minister’s global rating in Public Health is outstanding and exemplary, prompting the University to celebrate him by naming the School of Public Health after him.

Pate, an American Board Certified MD in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease served as Minister of State for Health between July 2011 and July 2013, when he voluntarily resigned and picked up appointment with the Duke Global Health Institute, North Carolina as Adjunct Professor.

He was also Executive Director and Chief Executive of the NPHCDA before he was appointed as Minister of State for Health. Currently, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Big Win Philanthropy, an independent foundation that invests in children and young people in developing countries to improve their lives and to maximize demographic dividends for long-term economic growth. Big Win Philanthropy partners with leaders who have a stake in the outcome to achieve transformational change.

The letter signed by the UNIMED’s Ag Registrar, Mr. Adeyinka Adekalu, stated that “Senate at its 23r d statutory meeting held on Thursday, 26t h October, 2017 considered the need to set up an International School of Public Health (ISPH) in the University of Medical Sciences to be named after a renowned and distinguished public health scholar.

Senate while considering the proposal, noted your valuable contributions to global health and your robust experiences across governmental and non-governmental sectors in achieving and promoting effective primary health care delivery in Nigeria and the African continent at large.

“Accordingly, the Senate of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo City, in recognition of your internationally and nationally acclaimed status as a distinguished practitioner and doyen of public health, has approved that the proposed UNIMED International School of Public Health (ISPH) be named and tagged ‘Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate International School of Public Health’….”