UK college honours Ugandan doctor for professionalism
Dr Richard Idro. PHOTO/ NMG
What you need to know:
- In February 2019, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) announced Dr Idro as the winner of the Greenwood Africa Award 2019.
The former president of the Uganda Medical Association, Dr Richard Idro, has been elected to the fellowship of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health of UK (FRCPCH).
The fellowship, according to the college, is the highest honour and recognition bestowed on a paediatrician.
“Now you have joined a network of specialist paediatricians working in the UK and right across the globe. Please do think about what that means for you as a role model - you have significant role to play in nurturing future generations of paediatricians through your role as a trainer, supervisor, mentor and clinical leader,” the college president, Dr Camilla Kingdom, said in an October 10 letter to Dr Idro.
Dr Idro welcomed the recognition, describing it as a nod to his service.
He added that the election to the FRCPCH has made him to specifically reflect on his mentorship and teaching roles.
Dr Idro is an associate professor at Makerere University and a consultant paediatrician and paediatric neurologist at Mulago Hospital.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is responsible for training and examining paediatricians in the UK. The college has about 16,000 members in the UK and internationally, it sets standards for professional and postgraduate medical education.
Dr Idro holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, a Master of Medicine in Pediatrics and a PhD in the same field from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
Previous awards
In February 2019, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) announced Dr Idro as the winner of the Greenwood Africa Award 2019.
The award is restricted to mid-level medical researchers in infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa. It is awarded every three years and Dr Idro was the first ever recipient.
He is an authority on Nodding disease, a mental condition characterised by seizures, mental retardation and stunted growth.
Dr Idro sits on committees at the World Health Organisation and the International League against Epilepsy.
