Sunday Obiajunwa Eziechina

Dynamic public health professional with extensive experience at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Expert in data analysis and project management, leading impactful research initiatives and community engagement during the COVID-19 response. Proven ability to synthesize findings into actionable policies, enhancing public health strategies and outcomes.

• Adeoye, A. O., Nejo, Y. T., Ochu, C. L., Bayigga, J., Ayebare, R. R., Faneye, A. O., Adewemimo, C. O., Falayi, O. E., Fagbamigbe, A. F., Okonkwo, P., Opayele, A. V., Nwiyi, G. O., Eziechina, S. O., Uzoma, I. R., Ibekwe, P., Shaweno, T., Dereje, N., Kakooza, F., Fallah, M. P., & Odaibo, G. N., Perspectives of healthcare stakeholders in Nigeria on the impact of COVID-19 on health services., Journal of Public Health in Africa, 16, 1, 2025, https://doi.org/10.4102/jphia.v16i1.674
• Akande, O. W., Disu, Y., Kaduru, C., Anueyiagu, C., Oguanuo, E., Ojumu, T., Akomolafe, O., Eziechina, S. O., Ejibe, U., Ihekweazu, V., Ochu, C. L., & Ihekweazu, C., Risk communication during health emergencies in Nigeria: What are its challenges?, Journal of Public Health in Africa, 14, 1, 2023, https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.1943
• Elimian, K., Musah, A., King, C., Igumbor, E., Myles, P., Aderinola, O., Erameh, C., Nwanchukwu, W., Akande, O., Nicaise, N., Ogunbode, O., Egwuenu, A., Crawford, E., Gaudenzi, G., Abdus-Salam, I., Olopha, O., Disu, Y., Bowale, A., Oshoma, C., … Ihekweazu, C., Incidence Rate of COVID-19 Mortality and its Associated Factors During the First and Second Waves in Nigeria: A Retrospective Cohort Study., SSRN Electronic Journal, 2021, https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3901784
• Elimian, K., Musah, A., King, C., Igumbor, E., Myles, P., Aderinola, O., Erameh, C., Nwanchukwu, W., Akande, O., Nicaise, N., Ogunbode, O., Egwuenu, A., Crawford, E., Gaudenzi, G., Abdus-Salam, I., Olopha, O., Disu, Y., Bowale, A., Oshoma, C., … Ihekweazu, C., COVID-19 mortality rate and its associated factors during the first and second waves in Nigeria., PLOS Global Public Health, 2, 6, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000169
• Ochu, C. L., Onoja, M., Olatunji, D., Okusanya, B. O., Usuwa, I. S., Akeju, D. O., Disu, Y., Adejo, S. O., Eziechina, S., Nwiyi, G., Okediran, J. O., Elimian, K. O., Akande, O. W., Dunkwu, L., Fagbemi, B., Aisiri, A., Agogo, E. A., Ebenso, B., Oke, D. A., … Ihekweazu, C., Public risk perception and behaviours towards COVID-19 during the first and second waves in Nigeria: A secondary data analysis., BMJ Open, 12, 4, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058747
• Olatunji, D. I., Okusanya, B. O., Ebenso, B., Usuwa, S. I., Akeju, D., Adejoh, S., Ochu, C. L., Onoja, M. A., Okediran, J. O., Nwiyi, G. O., Yahya, D., Eziechina, S., & Igumbor, E., Places Nigerians visited during COVID-19 government stay-home policy: Evidence from secondary analysis of data collected during the lockdown., Journal of Public Health in Africa, 14, 3, 2023, https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.2244
• Otu, A., Onwusaka, O., Meseko, C., Effa, E., Ebenso, B., Isong Abraham, I., Ijomanta, J., Omileye, A., Emelife, C., Eziechina, S., Suleiman, K., Ochu, C., & Adetimirin, V., Learning from One-Health approaches to explore links between farming practices, animal, human, and ecosystem health in Nigeria., Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 2024, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1216484
• Saleh, F., Olatunji, D. I., Ofeimun, E., Okpokoro, E., Crawford, E., Dalhat, M., Igumbor, E., Eziechina, S., Inweregbu, S., Ochu, C. L., & Chikwe, I., Epidemiology and psychosocial assessment of COVID-19 among workers of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control infected with COVID-19., Journal of Public Health in Africa, 14, 1, 2023, https://doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2023.2185

• Dr Chinwe L. Ochu, chinwe.ochu@ncdc.gov.ng
• Professor Ehimarior U. Igumbor, ehi.igumbor@gmail.com
• Dr. Michael Kunnuji, mkunnuji@unilag.edu.ng

• Reading
• Listening to News
• Watching Football

• English
• Igbo
• Hausa

• A Qualitative Study of mpox in 3 States in Nigeria, The goal of this study is to understand the enablers and propagators to the spread of mpox which will inform the development of effective and informative social and behavior change and other related interventions in the country and specifically in the three study states.
• Using Human Centered Design (HCD) and social behavior change to identify barriers, enablers, and challenges to address Lassa Fever in Nigeria, The overall objective of this activity is to identify enablers and challenges to the spread of Lassa Fever, which will inform the development of effective preventive and informative social, and behavior change interventions in most affected states in Nigeria.
• Investigation of zoonotic risk factors among suspected and confirmed mpox cases in Nigeria, The goal and purpose of this study is to improve our understanding of mpox epidemiology in Nigeria through identification and description of activities that might pose a risk for primary (zoonotic) transmission of mpox from reservoir hosts to humans.
• Program on Research for Vaccine Effectiveness (PROVE), The objective of the study is to evaluate the real-world COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in Africa using a prospective study design and to develop a national biorepository for COVID-19 samples at the National Institutes of Public Health.
• One Health approaches to support agroecological transmission of peri-urban farming (URBANE), The objective is to understand the interaction between urbanization, peri-urban farming practices and disease transmission.
• Surgical Site Infection Surveillance Study (SSIS), With the overall goal to inform the enhancement of Infection Prevention and Control programs in Nigeria by establishing the burden of and characterizing Health Care Acquired through a targeted hospital-based sentinel surveillance study.
• Acute Febrile Illness Surveillance Study, The Acute Illness Surveillance Study is an Active Hospital-Based Prospective Surveillance Study with the overall goal of characterize blood borne and respiratory borne infectious etiologies of Acute Febrile Illness (AFI) among children and adults in Nigeria.
• COVID-19 Risk Communication Study, The prime objective of this study is to obtain data that measures public perceptions and knowledge of the COVID-19 situation in Nigeria.
• Lassa Fever Risk Communication Study, This research seeks to explore the community perception of Lassa fever IEC materials from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
• Clinical Management Study of COVID-19 Cases in Treatment Centers across Nigeria, A process of quality improvement that sought to improve COVID-19 patient care and outcomes through systematic review of care against explicit criteria.
• Burden of COVID-19 among health care workers, Assessing vaccine coverage and effectiveness, infection, risk factors, working experiences and one-health implications.
• Understanding facilitators and barriers to compliance with non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 preventive measures in Nigeria, What social, economic, and political factors influence knowledge and perception of COVID-19 among Nigerians.
• The Community-Based One Health Participatory and Empowerment Strategy for One Health Interventions: Implementation research (COPE), The strategic goals of this implementation research are to reduce the burden of community prioritized One Health challenges in a Lassa fever (LF) endemic area in Nigeria.

• Lead Social Scientist, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), 01/01/19, Present
• Technical Working Group Member, Research Pillar Lead for Lassa Fever Emergency Response, 01/01/19, Present
• Member, Social Science Technical Working Group, Nigeria COVID-19 Research Consortium, 04/01/20, Present
• Technical Working Group Member, Research as a pillar of COVID-19 Emergency Operation Center, 04/01/20, Present
• Assistant Team Lead, Monitoring and Evaluation on the Implementation of COVID-19 IAP in Nasarawa State, Nigeria (World Bank Funded Project), 09/01/20, 10/31/20
• Member, Implementation of Ag-RDTs for COVID-19 in selected Health Facilities in Abuja and Plateau States, Nigeria, 02/01/21, 04/30/21