Joseph Ana, a Nigerian-born doctor who spent 20 years working for the NHS in the UK, has died aged 73. He used his experience to transform healthcare in his native Nigeria as a health commissioner.
Early life and education
Born in Zaria, Nigeria, to Onun Onebieni Uguana Ana, a railway worker, and Ubu Ana, Joseph grew up in Ikot-Ana, Cross River state. His family were kingmakers, responsible for selecting a king from two royal families.
As a teenager, he fought in the Biafran war, which interrupted his schooling. After the war, he resumed his education at Duke Town school in Calabar. Following the deaths of his two older brothers, he became the head of an extensive family.
Medical career in the UK
Joseph graduated from the University of Nigeria Medical School in 1978 and worked as a junior doctor at St Margaret's hospital in Calabar. He completed a surgical residency at the University of Calabar teaching hospital from 1980 to 1982 before moving to the UK to broaden his knowledge.
His wife, Arit Akak, a public health nutritionist whom he married in 1977, and their three children joined him in 1984. He worked as a doctor and urologist in various hospitals in southeast England for ten years, then became a GP in 1992 at a practice in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. He believed his primary care experience would be valuable if he ever returned to Africa.
Return to Nigeria
In 2004, Joseph was headhunted to become health commissioner in Cross River state, a region with three million people but only 72 doctors. One in five children died before age five, and one in 100 women died in childbirth. Only 20% of the population was vaccinated, and 12% were infected with HIV.
He implemented a 12-part clinical governance programme addressing funding, education, staff training, and patient empowerment. By the end of his tenure in 2008, 80% of the population were vaccinated, and HIV prevalence had halved. He also introduced a state-wide ambulance service.
Later work and legacy
After stepping down as health commissioner, Joseph became a consultant, offering courses on healthcare management across Africa. He advised the Nigerian government and chaired the World Health Organization's technical advisory group on integrated care in primary, emergency, operative, and critical care, a role he held until his death.
Joseph was a man of action with deep Christian faith, rarely taking no for an answer.
He is survived by his wife Arit, daughter Mbang, son Onebieni, and five grandchildren: Ubu, Kwadjo, Arit, Erioluwa, and Ndemana. Another daughter, Ubu, died in 2007.
