By Maikudi Muhammad Marafa
Dr. Imam is a public civil servant with over 15 years of experience. He
served at various capacities both field and managerial levels, during which he rose through the rank from a Medical officer in a specialist hospital to the program manager state Malaria Elimination Program (SMEP), Manager Saving One Million lives Program for results, State Epidemiologist, Incident
Manager Polio Eradication (PEI), Deputy Director and Director Public
health & Disease Control in the Kano State Ministry of Health and
currently the Director medical and health service of State Primary Health Care Management Board (SPHCMB) as well as secretary state task force on
COVID-19.
Dr. Imam attended Bayero University Kano for his first degree in Medicine, MBBS from 1997-2003; house officer/medical intern from 2003-2004; medical officer at Federal Medical Centre, Nguru where he served the country as National Youth Service Corp member, 2005-2005; Acting Medical Officer at Al-Noury Hospital Kano from 2005-2007; Supernumerary Resident in Community Medicine at Aminu Kano teaching Hospital, AKTH from 2008-2014; Program Manager, State Malaria Elimination Program/Deputy Director Public Health and Disease Control, Kano state Ministry of Health, from 2014 to 2016; State Epidemiologist/Incident Manager/ Deputy Director Public Health and Disease Control, Kano State Ministry of Health, 2016-2019; State Program Manager, Saving One Million Lives Program for Result,
Kano State Ministry of Health, 2017-2019; Director Public Health & Disease Control Kano State Ministry of Health, 2019-2020; Director Medical and Health Services
Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board, 2020-2021; and currently, Director Disease Control and Epidemiology Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board, 2021 to date.
In his capacity, he coordinate routine surveillance on diseases of public health importance and other public health interventions e.g. malaria, TBL, immunization, etc.; coordinate sentinel surveillance activities; conduct periodic surveys to establish baselines or trends on PHC services and other related issues; analyze surveillance data and reports.
He also prepare and issue regular surveillance bulletins in collaboration with the planning department; issue alert notices and establishes a threshold for epidemics, monitor and refine the surveillance process in the State, review all reports and data relating to the department emanating from Zonal and LGA PHC Teams and collate these for planning purposes; review and recommend for approval all operational plans of the relevant programs and units under the department; plan, budget, implement, control and monitor finances of the
Department; and perform any other duties and roles that may be assigned by the Executive Secretary.
He is currently Secretary, Covid-19 State Task Force Kano State Ministry of Health, 2020 to date, and also Performance Monitoring for Action Chairman Technical Advisory Group, PMA TAG from 2019 to date.
Imam is highly conscientious in follow-through, careful planning, organizing, coordinating, and directing new ideas and readily accepts new challenges. He demonstrates exceptional communication skills with an extensive presentation in English and Hausa languages. His developed capacity to train and support others, enthuse, motivate and encourage teamwork from others, staff, and management, has proven him to be an invaluable asset to multiple projects. He is also a professionally trained manager in various capacities. This makes him critically collect, analyze and interpret data for proper decision-making to achieve organizational predetermined objectives. He leads by example and can successfully motivate and facilitate an effective training program. He is skilled in bringing learning programs to life, developing session plans, and conducting and providing training to health workers with varying levels of need including front line providers Imam’s presentation style is energetic, anecdotal, and learner-focused, with a view, not only to help participants improve their knowledge levels but also to enhance their willingness and ability to apply what they’ve learned in a practical setting. As a public health professional, Imam hopes and dreams to continue to support and lead teams that achieve a highly strengthened health sector that continue to improve health outcomes by responding to the needs of the underserved in society. HIV/AIDs, TB, Malaria, and other diseases of public health importance were his most focused, this makes invents simple tools and methods that simplify stakeholders’ tasks for surveillance, disease tracking and has worked to coordinate state-wide programs like Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR), Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week, MNCHW, Long Lasting Insecticide Nets, LLIN mass replacement campaign and Community mobilization for public health issues, among others.
Courses/Training
He attended various courses and training, some of which includes, MPH Nigeria Field Epidemiology & Laboratory Training Program, Ahmadu Bello University ABU, Zaria, 2011-2012; AMREF International University Kenya Strategic Management and leadership Course, 2019; APMG International: Project Management for Development Professional, 2019; Certificate of Merit During the SINA Health International course on Performance Based Financing (PBF), 2019; Administrative Staff College of Nigeria Topo, Badagry Management Workshop, 2019; International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) which was held in Washington D.C., USA, 2012
Epi-info and Health mapper Training Organised by World Health Organization, WHO Nigeria Office For Staff Of Community Medicine, 2010; National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria Revision Course In Public Health, 2010; West African College Of Physicians Part 1 Revision Course in Community Health, 2009; ART Comprehensive Training by AIDS Relief, 2009; Advanced ART Course by University Of Maryland School of Medicine/IHV/AIDS Relief, 2008, Adult Antiretroviral therapy (ART) management training Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, 2008; Stop TB/Dots Training Workshop Organised by FMOH/Netherlands, 2009; and Training on Infection: Prevention, Control and Medical Waste Management, 2006 among others.
Publications
Some of his publications includes, The cholera risk assessment in Kano State, Nigeria: A historical review, mapping of hotspots and evaluation of contextual factors 2021; Acute flaccid paralysis surveillance, Kano State, Nigeria: 2009 – 2015, Pan African Medical Journal Conference Proceedings; Trend of measles in Kano State: a secondary data analysis: 2012 – 2016, Pan African Medical Journal Conference Proceedings; Outbreak investigation of Neisseria meningitides serogroup C Meningitis in Kano State, March – May 2017, Pan African Medical Journal Conference Proceedings; Outbreak of a Highly Virulent Lassa Fever Virus in Kano State, Nigeria: An Investigation Report 2015-2016, International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 8, Issue 1, January-2017; and Deaths during tuberculosis treatment among paediatric patients in a large tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
Membership
Dr. Imam is a member of various professional associations which includes, member, Association of Public Health Physicians, member, West African College of Physicians(Community Health); member, Association Of Resident Doctors, member, Nigeria Medical Association; and member HIV Join Alignment Committee (JAC), among others.
Dr. Imam is widely travelled, and is married with children
