The Executive Director, Debriche Health Development Center (DHDC), Deborah Iberi Ikeh and her husband, Dr. Timothy Ikeh, have been awarded the ‘Champions of Good Cause in Africa’ Awards, by African Goodwill Ambassador Awards.
The 10th edition of the Awards took place at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Saturday.
Reacting to the honour done them on her Instagram page, Mrs Ikeh dedicated her award to the families of those who died from Tuberculosis and individuals, who are currently on TB treatment.
She wrote, “Yet another feather was added to my hat as myself and my darling husband were decorated as Africa Goodwill Ambassadors and Champions of Good Cause in recognition of our humanitarian and selfless service to humanity during the Africa Humanitarian Actions Conference 2022.
“I thank God almighty who has given us the passion, drive, strength, and platform to do all we do for humanity through our various professional capacities. Over the years, we have dedicated our lives and careers to humanitarian service and the merciful God has supported us in our early mornings, late nights, long flights, overnight stressful trips, sometimes long distance relationship etc to deliver to the needs of those who need them the most.
“We appreciate our family, friends, colleagues, networks and every single person who continue to support our efforts towards improving the lives of vulnerable populations and underserved communities.This recognition will serve as an inspiration to do more.”
Mrs Deborah Ikeh is a seasoned public health advocate with many years of experience in high level health policy advocacy and partnership development, who has dedicated her career to humanitarian service and the fight towards eliminating all forms of barriers that impede universal health coverage and equitable access to quality healthcare globally.
Debriche Health Development Center has over the years organised youth empowerment schemes and health sensitisation programmes, and of recent through the support of Stop TB Partnership Challenge Facility for Civil Society R10, piloted the ‘One Impact Nigeria Application’.
The intervention was brought into the country in a quest to reduce barriers relating to availability, accessibility, and quality of TB services in Nigeria especially stigma and discrimination.
The Oneimpact is currently serving as a platform of exchange of information from the grassroot between TB program, TB affected communities and legal service providers for accountability and actions to improve the TB response.
It is also supporting people affected by TB with opportunity to know their rights and demand for it, communicate and connect with other people affected by TB to promote treatment adherence, report barriers and challenges they face especially relating to stigma and discrimination, ability to locate health facility offering TB services in Lagos, and basic information and updates about Tuberculosis for the general public.
