AMEYO ADADEVOH

1956-2014 (58 yeArs)

Dr. Stella Ameyo Adadevoh was a great Nigerian physician who sacrificed her life to prevent the spread of Ebola virus in Nigeria in 2014. She prevented the spread of Ebola virus which could have killed thousands Nigerians by ensuring an Ebola victim from Liberia did not leave the confines of the hospital she worked in. At such high risk, she sacrificed herself by staying within the confines of the highly contagious disease, to which she paid the ultimate price, her death. This act alone, saved thousands of lives of Nigerians who will no doubt, have been affected, had she released the said culprit who died just a few days after his arrival. Adadevoh, and some other staff of the hospital, exposed to this virus, died as a result of their brave acts.

Born in October 1956, Adadevoh graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree from the University of Lagos College of Medicine at age of 24. She undertook a Fellowship in Endocrinology at Hammersmith Hospital of the Imperial College in London, United Kingdom from 1991 to 1993 and worked at the First Consultants Medical Centre in Obalende, Lagos, where she was the Lead Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, for 21 years. Her heroic efforts that prevented a major outbreak in the most populous African country served as the catalyst for successful government action to contain the spread of Ebola in a country of more than 190 million people.