Dr. Somah Receives Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship
Dr. Somah Receives Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship
(Apr 20, 2010) By: Press Release
Dr. Syrulwa Somah
GREENSBORO, NC- April 20, 2010: Dr. Syrulwa Somah, an Associate Professor of Environmental Health & Occupational Safety and Health and Graduate Studies Coordinator at North Carolina A&T State University, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to lecture and conduct research abroad.
Dr. Somah, Executive Director of the Liberian History, Education & Development, (LIHEDE) Inc a strong advocate of malaria eradication, brain-child of “Culture-Driven Malaria Control”, and Fulbright Scholar, said that the award will allow him to conduct six months’ research in “Culture-Driven Malaria Control” in the Indian State of Orissa.
The project will run from 2010 Fall Semester through 2011 Spring Semester. During this period, Dr. Somah will be teaching courses on environmental health, occupational safety & health, occupational toxicology, environmental assessment, diseases and re-emerging and public health at Shree Sardar Patel University in India.
“This is a good recognition for Dr. Somah’s skill and we expect him to continue working hard on his malaria research,” said Dr. Benjamin Obinero Uwakweh, Dean of the School of Technology. Chancellor Harold Martin described his winning of the Fulbright as a “significant achievement.”
It can be recalled that since 2004, Dr. Somah has led malaria eradication efforts in Liberia and the West African sub-region by sending letters to political leaders of the world, including the U.S. Congress, President of the United States, and Secretary of State of the United States; Pope Benedict, the UN Secretary General; the European Union; the head of the African Union, Ghanaian President Koufou; WHO, USAID, and Her Majesty Queen Rena of Jordan. Others that have been engaged including the Bill Gates Foundation, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and President Dennis Sassou-Nguesso of the African Union, as well as many other influential people.
The next results of the letter writing campaigns have been successful so far with inclusion of Liberia on the PMI and cooperation from USAID, WHO, the Liberian government, and AU. In 2006, LIHEDE held a National Malaria Conference at the University of Liberia on malaria treatment, control, and prevention in Liberia. The National Malaria Conference was the first major malaria conference to be held in the history of Liberia, and it was a follow-up of the 2005 malaria symposium and Resolution adopted at the Conference. The conference, which was held by LIHEDE in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Liberian universities, and private bodies, sought to bring to the consciousness of the Liberian people and the world the magnitude of the impact of malaria in Liberia.
One of the highlights of the 2005 National Malaria Conference was an invitation extended to officials of LIHEDE by the US Embassy near Monrovia to witness the historic announcement by then U.S. President George W. Bush via satellite declaring Liberia a focused country to benefit from the President Malaria Initiative (PMI) funds. As a focused nation, Liberia automatically became eligible to receive over $70 million in aid for malaria control and prevention efforts in Liberia from the PMI funds. Germany, Japan, China, WHO, and other donors with PMI accounting for $37.5 million of the total amount.
Dr. Somah also received the Liberian Image Award for Lifetime Achievement in Washington, DC on 08/30/08 and African Environmental Watch Humanitarian Award on 10/30/09 for his contributions to malaria advocacy and education in Liberia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright program was established in 1946 to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. The Distinguished Award recipients are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and because they have demonstrated extraordinary leadership potential in their fields.
Signed:
Sam Togba Slewion
Director of Publications& Media Relations-LIHEDE