About Us

What We're All About

AfDHI is grounded in the vision and objectives of the African Union and the African Diaspora Development Institute .

AfDHI is a registered non-profit and tax exempt under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501 ©(3). Employer ID: 85-3575377

The African Diaspora Health Initiative (ADHI) represents a vision for the development of a sustainable health system for Africa powered by the collective vision, passion, and actionable support of African health professionals and partners in the diaspora.

ADHI is a hub for African health professionals in the diaspora to collaborate with the African Union, regional governments, health professionals, and organizations on the continent to support, develop, lead and implement a sustainable health delivery plan for the African continent.

Our group is a network of African healthcare professionals, leaders and administrators, researchers, public health experts in the diaspora and their partners willing to promote and develop a sustainable health delivery system in Africa. AfDHI is a movement by Africans in the diaspora to take our destinies into our hands by proving that we can plan and develop our future instead of relying on others to lead our civilization and development.

Vision

An Africa that fully utilizes her human and natural potentials to establish a sustainable health system that provides access to optimum health and wellness to her citizens.

Mission

Mobilize health and medical professionals of African descents in the diaspora to build partnerships with organizations in Africa and abroad to plan and develop a sustainable healthcare delivery system in Africa.

Message from the Founder

Welcome to AfDHI 

The 21st Century is the African renaissance and time to deeply reflect on our history and take part in rebuilding Africa from colonial basterdization. One area of need is the building of a sustainable health system comparable to the most functional health systems in the world. Given our abundant natural and diverse human resources, we should be able to build a health system that restores African dignity and stolen glory. Together, we can be players in the fulfillment of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and …

 

Raymond Chimezie
Founder

Objectives

  • Identify barriers to access to healthcare delivery through research
  • Develop professional collaborative relationships with existing health institutions and practitioners
  • Work to create sustainable relationship with health professionals to promote quality of healthcare
  • Support African regions’ health systems in training and developing health providers and allied personnel work skills
  • Liaise with universities and colleges in the training and development of responsive health care and allied professionals
  • Support effective health facility management
  • Provide opportunities for diaspora health missions to Africa
  • Explore investment opportunities in African regions
  • Develop a database of health professionals in the diaspora and link with regional health systems.

This is platform brings together healthcare providers, experts, professionals, and financiers of African ancestry in the diaspora to think Africa and work towards using their skills, expertise, and financial resources to free our motherland from colonial and neocolonial entrapment and slavery.

Management Team

Raymond Chimezie PhD, MA. Ed, CHES®, FRSPH

Founder & President of AfDHI, Raymond Chimezie, PhD., is an educator, public health consultant, motivational speaker, and community organizer. Dr. Chimezie transitioned from education to public health career after seeing close relations die from preventable causes because health services were not available, accessible, affordable, and/or acceptable.

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He noticed that the lack of proper health education limited people’s abilities to seek or remain in care. He decided to challenge these problems by completing a doctoral degree in public health from Walden University. Dr. Chimezie’s passion is to reduce health disparities linked to social, economic, and environmental factors. He also completed undergraduate education at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, and a graduate degree from Argosy University, San Francisco. He also acquired a certificate in Global Health Delivery from Harvard. Dr. Chimezie authored a book, Primary Healthcare in Nigeria: Overview, Prospects & Challenges. His research works include A Case Study of Primary Healthcare Services in Isu, Nigeria, and the Prospects of Advanced Practice Nursing in Nigeria, among others. Dr. Chimezie has taught in general education in California. He was also a Visiting Professor at Chamberlin University, Chicago; Research Scholar at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, and he is an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco California. Dr. Chimezie is an awardee of the prestigious William J. Fulbright Scholarship for teaching and research to Sub-Saharan Africa. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, London, a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), and received Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award from Walden among others distinguished awards. Dr. Chimezie is the President of Health for Schools and Communities Foundation, to champion health missions in Nigeria and to promote school health education to reduce youth behavioral health risk factors in the West Contra County Unified School District, Richmond, California. Dr. Chimezie serves on the Advisory Board of the Ethnic Health Institute of the Samuel Merritt University, Oakland, was a 1st Lt. and the Drug Demand Program Reduction Officer with United States Air Force Auxiliary. Dr. Chimezie envisions that the collective actions of African health professionals in the diaspora will transform health delivery in Africa for the best.
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Ronald Banks MD., MPH

Dr. Banks is a retired United States Public Health Services Commissioned Officer. During a thirty-six career, he served in numerous capacities, including as an internist, clinic director, general surgeon, regional director of occupational and environmental health, and as an assistant surgeon general.

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He earned a bachelor of science degree and doctor of medicine degree from Howard University and Meharry Medical College, respectively. He obtained a master of public health degree, with an emphasis in occupational and environmental medicine, from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Banks received post-doctoral training in internal medicine at Baltimore City Hospitals, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and University Hospitals of Cleveland. He completed a residency in general surgery in San Francisco at the United States Public Health Services Hospital which included a year in the University of California Surgery Program. A mini-residency in occupational and environmental health was also completed at the University of California San Francisco.
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Wilson Iyokho PhD, MS.

Dr.Wilson Iyokho has a Ph.D. in public health with a specialization in epidemiology, Masters's degree in Health Services Management, and Urban Policy/ Bachelor's degree in community public health. He is currently the Chief Medical Officer/Lead Medical Advisory Board-Incode Technologies HealthID, former Director, Epidemiology- HIV/AIDS. STD and infectious diseases, West Virginia Dept of Health, U.S.

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Dr. Wilson has worked in various non-profit organizations helping with planning their health care services. Dr. Wilson is an experienced manager, public health expert, clinical trial specialist, health researcher, project management, chronic infectious diseases expert, public health diseases outbreak response expert, including disease surveillance, research, prevention, and control. Dr. Wilson has excellent knowledge and experience in designing epidemiological public health studies, including surveillance methodologies. Dr. Wilson is a member of the American Public health Association, New York State Public Health Association. Dr. Wilson has more than 20 years of experience in public health in the areas of infectious diseases and he has worked on HIV/AIDS, TB, Zika Virus, EBOLA, COVID-19 pandemic, and non-communicable diseases. Dr. Wilson is passionate about analyzing performance monitoring data to bring about the comprehension of equity impact on public health issues. Dr. Wilson has authored a book on HIV/AIDS infection risk behavior among black males who sex with males (BMSM).
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Laura Chi Ojukwu PhD, MHA

Chizomam "Laura" Ojukwu is a public health professional with over fourteen years of experience working with Montgomery County, Maryland, Dept of Health & Human Services. She has diverse experience, and in-field expertise in data management systems, qualitative research, Program Evaluation, and Medical records reconciliation.

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Laura is the interim secretary/outreach specialist for the African Diaspora Health Initiative and the American Public Health Assoc (APHA) abstract reviewer. Her mission is to promote health education that facilitates informed health decisions. She is compassionate, honest, and dedicated in her service to humanity and an overly optimistic person. Laura has a master's degree in Health Services Administration from Strayer University and a Ph.D. in public health from Walden University. Her religious beliefs and values are her moral compass. Laura's short-term goal is to become a skilled public health data scientist. She is curious and loves to acquire knowledge on health matters. She has certificates in Medical Coding, IBM Data Sciences, COVID – 19 Contact Tracing, among other educational achievements. Her only son Josh is her motivator. During her free time, she listens to the news, gospel music and discusses world politics. Laura volunteers at the County homeless shelter, in her church, and Nigeria community.
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Letha Quashie MD, PhD, MHA

Dr. Quashie has experience as a non-profit and public health consultant, serve on boards also as an advisor to organizations, she worked in academia, and as a clinical associate. She is a motivated strategist, with a concentration on excellent direct patient care, team building, and professional development.

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Dr. Quashie exemplifies strategic vision and leadership, with qualities such as honesty, confidence, great communication skills, along administrative oversight. As she journeys through her academic career, she earned a Master of Arts from New York University, Ph.D. in Public Health from Walden University. With a continued thirst for knowledge, she completed a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD) from the University of Science Art and Technology School of Medicine, followed by a Master’s in Healthcare Administration (MHA) from TWU. Dr. Quashie currently has membership with American College of Healthcare Executive, Healthcare Financial Management Association, and Medical Group Management Association, and other Medical Associations
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Chidozie Chimezie MD

Dr.Chidozie Chimezie holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of California Berkeley, and a Doctor of Medicine, from the University of California Los Angeles. He is currently an anesthesiologist in Los Angeles.

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Munyal Oluyede

Munyal is a graduate of the medical student at St. George’s university, Grenada,West Indies. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Prince Edward Island, PEI Canada. She is currently a resident physician in emergency medicine.

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Committees

Membership

Dr. Letha Quashie (Chair)

Dr. Mercy C. Udeh

Tengu Beu

Dr. Laura Chi Ojukwu

Dr. Natashia Aduloju-Ajijola

Dr. Wilson Iyokho

Dr. Kenneth Hall

Strategic

Erica Asante (Chair)

Dr. Beno Tano

Shahara Kirven

Dr. Magnus Azuine

Dr. Kelvin Memeh

Mathew Erilim

Dr. Wilson Iyokho

Finance/
Fundraising

Dr. Uchenna Obieyisi

Dr. Rommy Azuine

Dr. Michael Nwaneri

Dr. Kasiemobi Uchime

Matthew Erilim

Incorporation

Dr. Ron Banks (Chair)

Dr. Gideon Adegbile

Dr. Chidozie Chimezie

 

Mission & vision

Dr. Michael Asumah (Chair)

Dr. Onyeka Uche

Dr. Wakdok Sebastine

Health Mission

Dr. Letha Quashie (Chair)

Munyal Oluyede

Dr. Ray Chimezie