NIGERIAN MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST WINS WORLD COUNCIL AWARD

UK based Nigerian family doctor and mental health specialist, Professor Gabby Ivbijaro OBE has been awarded the prestigious Wonca award.

“WONCA is the World Organization of Family Doctors, representing over 550,000 family doctors in 150 countries and territories.

The WONCA Fellowship is WONCA’s most prestigious award. It is awarded to individuals who have rendered outstanding service to the WONCA organization and is awarded every two years at meetings of the WONCA World Council.

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The award has been made to Professor Gabby Ivbijaro for his long service to WONCA, including time as the Chair of the WONCA Working Party on Mental Health, and for his services to mental health services generally, and in particular to mental health services at community level.”

Professor Ivbijaro is a member and past Chair of the Wonca Working Party on Mental Health, Medical Director of The Wood Street Medical Centre, London UK, Visiting Assistant Professor, NOVA University, Lisbon, Portugal and President Elect WFMH (World Federation for Mental Health).

Professor Ivbijaro initially specialized in Psychiatry and Neurology and subsequently specialized in General Practice. As a member of Wonca (World Organization of Family Doctors) he championed the cause of mental health globally among family doctors by setting up the Wonca Special Interest Group (SIG) in Psychiatry & Neurology in 2001.
Professor Ivbijaro is a specialist in Primary Care Mental Health and mental health service re-design. He worked in collaboration with the WHO to produce a ground breaking policy document published in 2008 entitled ‘Integrating Mental Health Into Primary Care: A Global Perspective’ which has influenced mental health delivery globally.

ivbujaro1 — Professor Gabby Ivbijaro MBE

Professor Ivbijaro has presented papers and original thinking on primary care mental health integration at many local and international conferences and has published a range of articles in peer reviewed journals. He recently edited a book entitled ‘Companion to Primary Care Mental Health’ an international collaboration of 110 authors from all continents of the world, published in 2012, to promote access to and delivery of primary care mental health globally which received a five star (100%) Doody’s Review.

Professor Ivbijaro chaired and completed the Case for Change for Mental Health for London, UK in 2011 and has contributed to the Mental Health Service Pack in the European Union (EU) which advocates for the development of mental health services in all member states of the EU. His contribution to the National Health Service in the UK was recognised in 2012 when he was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by her Majesty the Queen.

He is the founder of the World Dignity Project