Late Professor David Olaleye has been described as the bed-rock of science and research in medical science in Nigeria as colleagues, mentees gathered to honour the renowned Virologist with an Endowment and Trust Fund to assist researchers at the starting stages of their careers.
Speaking at the first memorial lecture organised by Board of Trustees, David O. Olaleye Foundation for the late virologist who died in July 2021, former Chief Medical Director of University College Hospital (UCH), Professor Temitope Alonge described the late scholar as an epitome of completeness and the bedrock of medical research in the country.
“Olaleye is an epitome of completeness. He began life as a veterinary doctor. His knowledge of zoonotic diseases and his ability to translate and appropriate it to human medicines from the virology department made him to be outstanding,” Prof Alonge said.
Speaking further, Prof Alonge, who was in the same COVID-19 Task force formed by the Engineer ‘Seyi Makinde-led Oyo State government to combat and control the coronavirus pandemic in the state said Prof Olaleye should be given a greater honour for his foresight, insight far beyond what those in the clinical medicine foresaw.
“This is what he has proposed maybe 20-30 years ago, it has become a reality now. All these diseases we are talking about, the pandemic transmission from one particular reptile, transmission from monkeys to human beings. It’s all part of one health concept.
“The whole world has now embraced what he (Olaleye) has been talking about for years. And as for me, I think Professor Olaleye should be given a greater honour. He had the foresight, insight far beyond what those of us in the clinical medicine had adapted.
“For upcoming researchers, the time has come for people to be able to have a broad mind about the output and outcome and also not to see themselves as persons living in silos. Because if you are sitting in a silo, it will be more like thinking it’s all just for veterinary medicine and if physicians think they can do it all alone, by now, no one will have any answer whatsoever for the current pandemic and series of other endemic we will be having. It’s an unending cycle.
“So Professor Olaleye has managed to put himself in the circle and has broken a couple of rules, so that we can have a good life,” Prof Alonge added.
The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Abuja, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, who spoke virtually on the topic ‘Controlling Epidemic Diseases in Nigeria: Challenges, Lessons and Opportunities said the late professor was an institution who contributed to a lot of milestones and activities in the area of research on diseases.
Adetifa emphasized the need to build and sustain trust between government and public as well as strengthen the healthcare delivery system by bridging the pre-existing gaps.
He harped on building human resources capacity in preparing for future pandemic and the need to take surveillance down to the community level.
The Oyo State Commissioner of Health, Dr Olabode Ladipo, who represented Gov. Seyi Makinde at the event, extolled the virtues and contributions of late Olaleye in the struggle to combat COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
“The task force on COVID-19 is a legacy of what he’s done. Other infectious diseases would be tackled as well.
“Public health is still being looked at as the major response to all our disease burdens in the state and as such you will note that emergency operations have now been overhauled and made an integral part of the response of the ministry of health.
“Though it was started for COVID-19 but now it responds to all the medical emergencies that come along,” he said.
In another lecture, Prof Phyllis Kanki of Mary Woodard Lasker at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health spoke on Nigeria’s Viral Landscape virtually.
She said one of the most pandemic is HIV with 38 million people living with HIV and 1.5 million people are newly infected in recent years according to the World Health Organisation, (WHO).
Kanki noted the contributions of Prof Olaleye in research starting from HIV virus to other viruses such as Ebola, COVID-19, Arboviruses and Monkeypox outbreak.
Also speaking at the event, Head of Department of Virology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Professor Georgina Odaibo described the deceased as a father and mentor as well as a great researcher who was selfless but always looked for the good of others. She also submitted that Prof Olaleye’s contribution to human capital development of scientists was enormous.
“From today’s celebration, we can all see that Professor Olaleye has left behind legacies which some people have decided to continue.
“From the comment made by people here, Olaleye was described as a very selfless person who touched lives in fact people testified how he impacted lives.
“In one of his research works, Prof Olaleye was able to discover one of the popular variant of HIV/AIDS which he named IBNg and today it is predominantly in west Africa . He really contributed in the health sector, he might be dead now but his works still speak for him,” Prof Odaibo, who is the first doctoral student of Prof. Olaleye said.
In response, Mr Abiola Olaleye, on behalf of the Olaleyes, appreciated the mentees of their late father for setting up the foundation.
He said in addition to the N1 million grant for early career researchers across Nigeria, the family would also institute through the foundation a bursary grant localized to the University of Ibadan.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi and Olawale Awe
