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- Muhammad Ali Pate CON (born 6 September 1968) is a Nigerian physician and politician who is currently Professor of the Practice of Public Health Leadership in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University, formerly served as the Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank Group and Director of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF). Pate is also the former Minister of State for Health in Nigeria. On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, Prof Pate, along with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mrs. Amina J Mohammed and other illustrious Nigerians were conferred with Nigeria's national honours. Pate, who was conferred with Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), taking to his verified Twitter account said: "Nigeria can be great, but needs lots of diligent efforts, unity of purpose, reset of values, inspiring and courageous leadership to cross the hurdles ahead. While still imperfect, work-in-progress, with determination, the national trajectory can be changed to be better." It was believed that the National Honour was conferred in recognition for his efforts towards eradicating polio in the country while the Executive Director at NPHCDA. A feat that was lauded by Mr. William Gates, Microsoft Founder and Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation at the 64th World Health Assembly in Geneva and published in the journal of Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas: 'Bill Gates Praises NPHCDA Director Muhammad Pate’s Efforts To Eradiate Polio In Nigeria. According to Mr. Gates, "One of the polio leaders I respect most is Dr. Muhammad Pate, who directs Nigeria’s national eradication effort. Just a few years ago, Nigeria was the most troublesome spot on the polio map. It had hundreds of cases. Much worse, it lacked the commitment to bringing that number down. But Dr. Pate, along with the global polio partners, President Goodluck Jonathan, and members of the ministry of health, helped rally government and traditional leaders around the cause. Dr. Pate told me that his agency makes a point of identifying poor-performing states publicly. That’s the kind of accountability that leads to results." Subsequently, Prof Pate in an interview with Financial Nigeria International Limited: 'Muhammad Ali Pate, CON: Nigeria’s global health development expert', said, "We can have in Nigeria all the latest advancements we see in medicine, including in transplantation and molecular medicine. In terms of core public health agenda, Nigeria has a strong Center for Disease Control, but needs to equip it well and deploy sufficient frontline health workers to be able to quickly detect disease outbreaks, coordinate responses, deliver the tools that are necessary, and have the trust of the communities in which they reside and serve...." Earlier in 2019, Professor Pate was appointed Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Prof. Pate was also the former Minister of Health in Nigeria. His appointment in July 2011 follows his success as the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in Abuja, Nigeria. He resigned as Nigeria's Minister of State for Health effective 24 July 2013 to take up the position of Professor in Duke University's Global Health Institute, USA. He is formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Big Win Philanthropy and an Adjunct Professor of Global Health of the Duke University Global Health Institute. (en)
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