Dear ANPA Members,
The Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) Chapters across the nation have been active in the communities we live in – hosting and attending Thanksgiving ceremonies and Christmas tree events and celebrations in conjunction with community groups and leaders. Many Chapters have partnered with other like-minded organizations to embark on having toy drives and toy distributions, giving scholarships to the disadvantaged, and partaking in coat drives to support the disadvantaged – all of which are a large part of the holiday effort to spread joy and holiday cheer.
Close to my heart is the Sickle Cell Transcranial Doppler (TCD) Drive, which came about to ensure health equity in the realm of chronic illness in children in Nigeria. Without treatment, 11% of children with sickle cell disease will have an ischemic stroke by 20 years of age. TCD is used as a screening test to prevent this complication in the sickle cell population. ANPA’s goal to raise $20k toward TCD for the Sickle Cell Foundation in Lagos was magnified with the collaboration between NPAG, ANPA Georgia, and various sponsors where we not only raised 30% of our goal, but procured the donation of 4 Doppler devices – what a priceless gift that will help so many!
The Go Pink Campaign raised valuable resources to support the fight against breast cancer, which culminated in a donation hand-off to the American Cancer Society in California by our President-Elect, Dr. Cliff Eke.
As we approach the end of 2023, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your continued support and dedication to ANPA. Together, we have achieved remarkable milestones and strengthened our community of healthcare professionals. We have been able to make the following notable achievements in 2023:
- Membership Growth: We are thrilled to report an increase in our membership to a total of 755 members across the various Chapters, demonstrating the continued appeal and relevance of ANPA including the addition of two honorary members Dr. Wole Kukoyi and Dr. Ibrahim Wada.
- Community Outreach: ANPA has actively engaged with the community through the Stop the Bleed (STB) Project in Alimosho, Lagos State to equip people with life-saving skills to address the common, yet preventable, cause of death – bleeding – led by our very own Dr. Borowa. This excellent outreach allowed for 55 First-Care Responders to be trained and 9 became instructors, adding to the hundreds trained already.
- Educational Initiatives: We have effectively launched and continue our ECHO programs in Primary care and Sickle Cell with great receipt. The quarterly inter-professional webinars went great with multidisciplinary input.
- ANPA Telehealth Initiatives: ANPA has created an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software for easy and fast communication between patients and healthcare workers during our medical missions. Plans are underway to upscale the Primary Healthcare (PHC) Telemedicine Clinic to Ota and Abia State.
- Fundraising Success: Thanks to the generosity of our members and partners, we have achieved support and collaborations with Rotary. National American Rescue also donated Stop the Bleed® mannequins and medical supplies to ANPA under the direction of Michelle Trotter.
- Strategic Alliances: ANPA has forged strategic partnerships that continue to help us build! Together we can achieve more, enhancing our impact and influence in the healthcare community.
I look forward to our continued collaboration to further the mission and vision of ANPA in 2024!
Thank you,
Dr. Chinyere Anyaogu,
National President,
Association of Nigerian Physicians
in the Americas