Arnold Ikedichi Okpani | Bio

Arnold received his medical degree from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria, and his MSc in Public Health in Developing Countries (now Public Health for Development) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.

Arnold worked for nearly a decade in primary health care systems development in Nigeria. He was involved in projects that spanned maternal and child health, operational research, health information systems, advocacy, and resource mobilization. He recently worked with the Centre for Health Economics in London on a multi-country research project focused on designing fit-for-purpose regulation for evolving health care systems.

Arnold is currently the associate director at the Medical Practitioners Occupational Safety and Health (mPOSH) service in Vancouver Coastal Health authority, British Columbia. In addition to his service role, he is researching the epidemiology of the novel coronavirus infection among health care workers in the region.

Arnold is a Chevening UK Scholar, and a fellow of the International Program in Public Health Leadership of the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance of the University of Washington, Seattle, USA.

Select Publications:
1. Francis Wafula Chima Onoka, Anita Musiega, Arnold Okpani, Dosila Ogira, Ufuoma Ejughemre, Rosalind Miller, Catherine Goodman, Kara Hanson. (2022). Healthcare clinic and pharmacy chains in Kenya and Nigeria: A qualitative exploration of the opportunities and risks they present for healthcare regulatory systems. International Journal of Health Planning and Management.

2. Betty B. B. Ackah, Michael Woo, Ugochinyere Vivian Ukah, Zahra A. Fazal, Lisa Stallwood, Arnold Okpani, Prince A. Adu. (2022). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Africa: A scoping review. Global Health Research and Policy.

3. Arnold Ikedichi Okpani, Laila Umar, Mohammad Ehsanul Karim. (2022). Traditional birth attendant-assisted versus unassisted births: a comparison of neonatal deaths in Nigeria, 2008–2018. Annals of Epidemiology. 75

4. Prince Adu Lisa Stallwood Stephen O. Adebola Theresa Abah Arnold Ikedichi Okpani. (2022). The direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child health services in Africa: a scoping review. Global Health Research and Policy.

5. Arnold Ikedichi Okpani, Stephen Barker, Karen Lockhart, Jennifer Grant, Jorge Andrés Delgado-Ron, Muzimkhulu Zungu, Nisha Naicker, Rodney Ehrlich, Annalee Yassi. (2022). A mixed-methods study of risk factors and experiences of healthcare workers tested for the novel coronavirus in Canada. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

6. Rosalind Miller, Francis Wafula, Chima A Onoka, Prasanna Saligram, Anita Musiega, Dosila Ogira, Ikedichi Okpani, Ufuoma Ejughemre, Shrutika Murthy, Surekha Garimella, Marie Sanderson, Stefanie Ettelt, Pauline Allen, Devaki Nambiar, Abdul Salam, Emmanuel Kweyu, Kara Hanson, Catherine Goodman. (2021). When technology precedes regulation: the challenges and opportunities of e-pharmacy in low-income and middle- income countries. BMJ Global Health. 6(5)

7. Annalee Yassi, Jennifer M. Grant, Karen Lockhart, Stephen Barker, Stacy Sprague, Arnold I. Okpani, Titus Wong, Patricia Daly, William Henderson, Stan Lubin, Chad Kim Sing. (2021). Infection control, occupational and public health measures including mRNA-based vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infections to protect healthcare workers from variants of concern: A 14-month observational study using surveillance data. PLoS ONE. 16(7)

8. Sulaiman Etamesor, Chibuzo Ottih, Ismail Ndalami Salihu, Arnold Ikedichi Okpani. (2018). Data for decision making: using a dashboard to strengthen routine immunisation in Nigeria. BMJ Global Health. 3(5): e000807.

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