Dr. Faisal Shuaib MBBS, MPH, DrPH, OON

Dr. Faisal Shuaib is a Medical Doctor, Public Health and Emergency response expert. He is
currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Institute of Global Health, University College
London and also CEO of the DFS Foundation for Vulnerable Women and Children. Prior to
these roles, he served as the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer at Nigeria’s National
Primary Healthcare Development Agency from January 2017 to October 2023.
He completed his undergraduate studies at Ahmadu Bello University, graduating with a
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in 1992. His academic pursuits continued with
a Master of Public Health from the University of Lagos in 1998 and a Doctor of Public Health
from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2010, where he graduated with distinction.
He was awarded the Outstanding Doctoral and International Student of the Year 2010.
Dr. Shuaib’s public health journey commenced at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, where
he ascended to the position of Director of Primary Healthcare and Disease Control.
Additionally, he served as the State and then Zonal Coordinator of the World Health
Organization (WHO) for Nasarawa and the North Central Zone of Nigeria.
During the Ebola outbreak of 2014, Dr. Shuaib occupied a pivotal position as the Incident
Manager/Head of the Nigeria Ebola Emergency Operation Center. This crisis, predominantly
afflicting West Africa, inflicted a toll of 28,600 infections and 11,325 fatalities. Leading a team
of over 1,000 healthcare professionals and volunteers, Dr. Shuaib masterminded a
comprehensive framework for diagnosing, treating and supporting Ebola patients, as well as
their contacts and families. Nigeria’s exemplary response resulted in a comparatively lower
number of deaths from the health crisis. On October 20, 2014, the World Health Organization
(WHO) proclaimed Nigeria Ebola-free, lauding the extraordinary control measures
implemented.
A substantial part of Dr. Shuaib’s career has been dedicated to eradicating the long-standing
scourge of poliomelitis in Nigeria. Working with donors and development partners, building
on several decades of prior work, he guided the Nigeria polio program to the final eradication
of Wild polio virus from Nigeria and Africa on August 25th, 2020, a historic milestone certified
by WHO and celebrated globally.
While working as Senior Program Officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Shuaib
oversaw polio surveillance and outbreak response in the African region. During this period, he
engineered an innovative smartphone application and strategic framework that quadrupled the
identification rate of polio-like cases in Africa. This technology was also harnessed towards
improving COVID-19 reporting and response capacities. It has now been incorporated into a
multi-disease detection and reporting platform known as SORMAS.
When he was at the helm of Nigeria’s National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, as
the Executive Director and CEO, Dr. Shuaib orchestrated the delivery of primary healthcare
services to Nigeria’s population of over 200 million. His leadership purview extended to being
a member of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and taking the lead in Nigeria’s
COVID-19 vaccination endeavor, which was commended as the fourth best globally by the
World Health Organization. Dr. Shuaib extended comprehensive guidance and support to all
Nigerian states, ensuring the seamless execution of the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. This
encompassed the equitable distribution of vaccines, community engagement, advocacy among
stakeholders, and team empowerment, all with the overarching aim of safeguarding the
population from the pandemic’s grip.
He spearheaded the development of the Reaching Inaccessible Children (RIC) strategy, a
pivotal initiative that effectively halted the circulation of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) in Borno
State, previously identified as the last reservoir of WPV in Nigeria.
He provided leadership for the groundbreaking comprehensive assessment of over 25,000
Primary Healthcare Centres and conducted a Human Resources for Health Profiling
nationwide. Subsequently, a PHC information system was developed to effectively manage
PHC data and ensure regular updates. He also led the recruitment of over 3000 healthcare
workers in Primary health care centres across Nigeria
Among his numerous accolades are the Officer of the Order of the Niger of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria (OON), the Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service (NEAPS), the
National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM), and the Africa COVID-19 Hero Award. With
an impressive portfolio of over 70 peer reviewed scientific publications, Dr. Shuaib commands
immense respect as an authority in epidemic management, proffering invaluable insights to
public health authorities. His advisory role extends to the World Health Organization and
Nigeria’s Ministry of Health where his expertise permeates diverse domains.