Prof. Monekosso Wins Royal Distinction

The eminent physician will receive the Gold Medal of the "Queen Elizabeth II" competition this Thursday September 13 in London.

Professor emeritus, Gottlieb Lobe Monekosso, former Minister of Public Health and Director of the World Health Organisation for Africa Region, has been honoured. He will mount the rostrum today Thursday September 13th in London, United Kingdom to receive the Gold medal of the prestigious "Queen Elizabeth II" competition.

The competition is periodically organised by the Royal Society of Public Health among health professionals in Commonwealth countries. According to a press release from the Ministry of Public Health, the honorary distinction is within the framework of his achievements at the national and international levels in field of public health.

Described by his peers as an encyclopedia of health practice in Africa, Prof. Monekosso's path to fame in the health domain is just awesome. Born on November 13, 1928 in Cameroon, the young Gottlieb Lobe Monekosso studied medicine in Nigeria and the United Kingdom where he obtained a Doctor of Medicine (MD) in 1957. As a Professor of Medicine in Lagos, Dar-es-Salaam and Yaounde, he practised community medicine and developed approaches for the delivery of healthcare to urban and rural population.

He represented WHO in Jamaica (1980-1984) before he was recommended by President Paul Biya as candidate to head the WHO Regional Office for Africa as Director in 1985. He was appointed Minister of Public Health in 1997.