He is Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics in the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. He has a distinguished career as an expert in Nutrition. He was at various times the Head of Department of Paediatrics and Chairman, Medical Advisory Council, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Surulere, Lagos. He is an accomplished administrator and trainer.
History
The formal establishment of the Centre for Healthy Start Initiative (HSI-Centre) in March 2011 was the product of an extensive research work on childhood disability in Nigeria since 1993 by its Principal Promoter, Dr Bolajoko Olusanya, a developmental paediatrician by training. Inspired by her own personal experience of congenital hearing loss and two-family members with learning difficulty (dyslexia) she undertook a special community-based training in developmental paediatrics at the Donald Winnicott Centre, Hackney, London between 1991 and 1992 as part of her post-graduate fellowship programme in paediatrics. Her first research work in 1994 on developmental assessment of school entrants in eight randomly selected schools in Lagos showed that hearing loss was the most prevalent disability with a rate of 13.9%. This finding was subsequently corroborated by a national survey in 2000 by the National Ear Care Programme which reported a rate of 13.4% for children aged 5-14 years. She and other stakeholders then founded Hearing International Nigeria [HING] in 1999 as a non-governmental organisation to advocate for the implementation of the 1995 World Health Assembly Resolution (WHA 48.9) on the prevention of deafness in all age groups. She also founded the Nigerian Dyslexia Association (NDA) as a non-governmental organisation to promote early detection and intervention services for school children with learning difficulty. Due to resource and logistical constraints, she later devoted her efforts primarily towards addressing the needs of children with hearing loss from birth which resulted in the first hospital-based and community-based infant hearing screening programmes under the auspices of Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK. The programmes were officially launched by the Federal Health Minister in June 2005. These robust programmes with an enrolment of approx. 12,000 mother-infant pairs formed the basis of several novel findings which have defined the scope of intervention services and research priorities in early childhood development for HSI-Centre. The research activities on hearing impairment are undertaken exclusively by HING.
Philosophy
As encapsulated in one of our publications [Priorities for Early Childhood Development in Low and Middle-Income Countries, Journal of Developmental & Behavioural Pediatrics, July 2011]*, the current approach to the promotion of early childhood development by various professional and interest groups (medical, educational, psycho-social, human rights etc.) is fragmented and uncoordinated, and often constitutes a major obstacle in serving the needs of children with disabilities effectively. HSI-Centre is therefore committed to a multi-disciplinary engagement with relevant stakeholders for the prevention and management of early childhood disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Centre holds the view that ‘a rising tide, lifts all boats’. It therefore strives to explore ways in which the individual competences of all medical and non-medical professionals working with children with special needs can be optimally harnessed in the overall best interest of the affected children and their families through a confluence of medical, socio-cultural and human rights’ approaches to early childhood disability. Even with the best of rehabilitation, the economic and psycho-social burden of disability over a lifetime course is prohibitive and beyond the reach of most families. This is exacerbated by the pervasive lack of functional welfare and support systems for this vulnerable population by national governments. The Centre is therefore committed to an approach that embraces ALL of the three levels of prevention recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) within community-based settings: primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. While seeking the development of effective rehabilitative services geared towards mainstreaming of children with disabilities, a major priority area for the Centre is to also leverage on its research expertise to advocate for appropriate global and community-oriented initiatives to curtail the burden of avoidable childhood disability. This entails a thorough grasp of the social-cultural underpinnings of childhood disability including maternal health-seeking behaviour.
*Full-text available on request through ResearchGate Link for Bolajoko Olusanya
*Full-text available on request through ResearchGate Link for Bolajoko Olusanya
Our Mission
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Structure
The governance framework of HSI-Centre is guided by a Constitution duly approved by the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria. At the apex is a 5-member Board of Trustees including an Executive Secretary, who also serves as the Centre Director. The day-to-day running of the Centre is entrusted to a team of dedicated and highly motivated staff and volunteers headed by the Executive Director & Chief Scientist. The policy thrust of the Centre is steered by an International Advisory Board comprising a rich blend of seasoned experts and community leaders. The Centre is privately and primarily funded through the investment income from a Special HSI-Endowment independently managed by a reputable financial institution.
Board of Trustees
Professor James K. Renner MBB, FMCPaed
Member
Mr Jacob O. Olusanya BSc (Hons), MBA
Member
An Economist by training and a retired banker with a distinguished career in financial services industry in Nigeria. He was a pioneer Executive Director and later Managing Director/CEO of Express Discount (House) Limited between 1992 and 1998. He is currently a Federal Government appointed non-executive Director of Keystone Bank Limited. He is an alumnus of several reputable professional training institutions including the Lagos Business School , Lagos, Nigeria; Institute of Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland; Haggai Institute, Hawaii, USA; Harvard Business School, Boston, USA and Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA.
Architect Anthony Alabi B.ES, BArch, M.Arch, PhD
Member
He is an accomplished and innovative architect with special interest in urban design and arbitration and has led a number of landmark housing projects in Nigeria. He is a member of Nigerian Institute of Architects, South African Institute of Architects, Royal Institute of BritishArchitects, and Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He is married to a distinguished paediatrician based in South Africa.
Dr. Bolajoko O. Olusanya MBBS, FMCPaed, FRCPCH, PhD
Secretary & Centre Director
She is a developmental paediatrician by training and chief promoter of the centre. She is a distinguished researcher and a passionate advocate for children with developmental disabilities. She is also the National Coordinator of Hearing International Nigeria, a sister NGO.
International Advisory Board
The administrative team members include:
Bolajoko Olusanya MBBS, FMCPaed, FRCPCH, PhD
Executive Director & Head of Research
Jacob Olusanya B.Sc (Econs), MBA
Program & Policy Advisor
Folasade Otsemobor MBChB
Clinical Research Associate
Charity Okeke B.Sc Nursing
Research Nurse
Blessings Ibeneme B.A.(Special Education)
Early Childhood Development Educator
Mr. Olusegun Oladipupo
Administrative Manager
Management & Operational Team
The administrative team members include:
Glory Ndukwe
Community extension worker
Bolajoko Olusanya MBBS, FMCPaed, FRCPCH, PhD
Executive Director & Head of Research
Jacob Olusanya B.Sc (Econs), MBA
Program & Policy Advisor
Folasade Otsemobor MBChB
Clinical Research Associate
Charity Okeke B.Sc Nursing
Research Nurse
Blessings Ibeneme B.A.(Special Education)
Early Childhood Development Educator
Mr. Olusegun Oladipupo
Administrative Manager
Oluseyi Olusanya B.Eng (Electrical & Electronics Engr.), MSc (Software Engr.)
IT Support Consultant
Olufemi Olaosebikan
Data Management Officer
Christiana Okechukwu
Community extension worker
Deborah John Abews
Community extension worker
Oseremen Patrick
Community extension worker
Olalekan Kehinde
Technician