Dr. Patrick Dakum is the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) and Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine, Baltimore.
He provides strategic leadership for the organization in line with its vision to be a leader in providing quality health services, capacity building, and research in West Africa. He leads and coordinates multiple projects implemented by the organization to address HIV, tuberculosis, and other infectious and non-infectious diseases. These include the Centers for Disease Control/ US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) ASPIRE project that has placed more than 598,000 people living with HIV in Nigeria on treatment, the Global Fund programs to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria programs which the Institute has implemented since 2011, USAID and World Bank funded projects.
He liaises with the US Government, the Government of Nigeria, and various partners within and outside the country for the successful implementation of programs that address public health challenges in all the states in the country in line with the nation’s strategic health sector plans. He has played key advocacy and technical roles in Nigeria’s response to pandemics such as Ebola, Avian Influenza, and COVID-19.
Dr. Dakum is a seasoned public health physician with more than 40 years of experience in public health and service in various leadership capacities. He has steered the organization’s growth from a modest five-member team to over 600 multidisciplinary professionals. He is a mentor to senior management staff, emphasizing resource optimization and efficient service delivery. His skills include Implementation Science and Research, Administration, Advocacy, Project Management, and Policy Formulation.
His public health career has also spanned working with the government as Chairman of the Plateau State Hospital Management Board and Commissioner for Health. He has also served as the Plateau State Commissioner for Information.
A dedicated educator, Dr. Dakum has served as an Adjunct and later as an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland. He has taught courses in epidemiology and public health, with a focus on resource-limited settings. Additionally, he has presented research papers and articles on public health topics in prestigious journals. He has authored and co-authored over 50 publications in international peer-reviewed journals, with key highlights focusing on innovative approaches to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, as well as public health strategies tailored for resource-limited settings.
He earned his MBBS degree from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1982 and later obtained a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Lagos in 1990. He further pursued a Diploma in Theology at Gindiri College of Theology in 2001. He has also attended numerous courses within and outside the country. He is a member of various professional societies, including the Nigerian Medical Association and the Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria.
He loves to play table tennis, is a biblical scholar, and is married with children and grand children.
