December 27, 2020
by Lola Dare
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he received his early education, Dr. Lucas obtained his medical training in Britain, graduating B.Sc. (Physiology), First Class Honours in 1953 and M.B., B.S. with honours from the University of Durham in 1956. He was awarded several undergraduate prizes including the Tulloch Prize for obtaining the highest marks in the First MB, BS examination; and the, Philipson Prize -- two prizes for the two candidates who obtain the highest marks inFinal M.B., B.S. examination. His postgraduate training in internal medicine, tropical diseases and Public Health took him to Belfast, London and Boston. In 1958, Queen’s University, Belfast awarded him the Canwarth medal for obtaining the highest marks in the Diploma of Public Health examination.
Back home in Nigeria he taught clinical and community medicine in Ibadan where he was appointed professor and head of the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, a position which he held from 1965 to 1976.His publications include papers on clinical and epidemiological aspects of tropical parasitic and infectious diseases -- schistosomiasis, malaria, African histoplasmosis, etc.
He co-authored 'A Short Textbook of Public Health for the Tropics' with Professor H.M. Gilles. First published in 1973, more than 25,000 copies of the 4th edition have been sold widely in Africa and elsewhere.
For the ten years preceding his work at Carnegie, 1976-86, he directed the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases based at the World Health Organization in Geneva; he received the Prince Mahidol Award 1999 in recognition of his contribution in the development of this programme. From 1986 to 1990, Dr. Lucas served as chair of Carnegie Corporation's grant programme concerned with Strengthening Human Resources in Developing Countries. In 1990, he was appointed Professor of International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and he is currently an Adjunct professor in the Department of Global Health.
He has served on the expert committees and advisory boards of various national organisations and international agencies: Rockefeller Foundation, Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, Carter Center, the Wellcome Trust Scientific Group on Tropical Medicine, the Bill and Melinda Gates’ Children’s Vaccine Programme and the Governing Board of the Centres for Agriculture and Biosciences International. He chaired the Global Forum for Health Research, for four years when the new entity was established to promote international health research. He represented West and Central African countries on the Governing Board of the Global Fund for Fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Dr. Lucas received various academic honours: the Harvard Medal, the Mary Kingsley Medal of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Honorary Fellowship of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Award of Merit. He served as the first honorary President of the Alumni Association of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for 11 years. The School has named a lecture room in a new building "in honour of Professor Adetokunbo Lucas, renowned international health specialist…"
He has been elected an honorary member of various professional organisations including:
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
British Society of Parasitology
Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
International Epidemiological Association
Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons
Swiss Society of Tropical Medicine
Nigerian Academy of Science
Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria
He was elected to the Institute of Medicine (now renamed National Academy of Medicine) of the United States National Academy of Science as one of the first eight persons in a new category of membership -- foreign associate; he also holds honorary degrees from Emory (D.Sc.), Tulane (D.Sc.), Newcastle (D.Sc.), Obafemi Awolowo (DSc), Sussex (MD) and Ibadan (F.U.I.) universities. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG) ad eundem. His Royal Majesty, the King of Thailand granted him the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of.0 the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn. As part of its centenary celebration, The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine awarded him one of the two Centennial medals issued in recognition of a ‘Lifetime Achievement in Tropical Medicine’.
Main hobby - playing classical music on pipe organs
Back home in Nigeria he taught clinical and community medicine in Ibadan where he was appointed professor and head of the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, a position which he held from 1965 to 1976.His publications include papers on clinical and epidemiological aspects of tropical parasitic and infectious diseases -- schistosomiasis, malaria, African histoplasmosis, etc.
He co-authored 'A Short Textbook of Public Health for the Tropics' with Professor H.M. Gilles. First published in 1973, more than 25,000 copies of the 4th edition have been sold widely in Africa and elsewhere.
For the ten years preceding his work at Carnegie, 1976-86, he directed the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases based at the World Health Organization in Geneva; he received the Prince Mahidol Award 1999 in recognition of his contribution in the development of this programme. From 1986 to 1990, Dr. Lucas served as chair of Carnegie Corporation's grant programme concerned with Strengthening Human Resources in Developing Countries. In 1990, he was appointed Professor of International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and he is currently an Adjunct professor in the Department of Global Health.
He has served on the expert committees and advisory boards of various national organisations and international agencies: Rockefeller Foundation, Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, Carter Center, the Wellcome Trust Scientific Group on Tropical Medicine, the Bill and Melinda Gates’ Children’s Vaccine Programme and the Governing Board of the Centres for Agriculture and Biosciences International. He chaired the Global Forum for Health Research, for four years when the new entity was established to promote international health research. He represented West and Central African countries on the Governing Board of the Global Fund for Fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Dr. Lucas received various academic honours: the Harvard Medal, the Mary Kingsley Medal of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the Honorary Fellowship of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health Alumni Award of Merit. He served as the first honorary President of the Alumni Association of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for 11 years. The School has named a lecture room in a new building "in honour of Professor Adetokunbo Lucas, renowned international health specialist…"
He has been elected an honorary member of various professional organisations including:
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
British Society of Parasitology
Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences
International Epidemiological Association
Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons
Swiss Society of Tropical Medicine
Nigerian Academy of Science
Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria
He was elected to the Institute of Medicine (now renamed National Academy of Medicine) of the United States National Academy of Science as one of the first eight persons in a new category of membership -- foreign associate; he also holds honorary degrees from Emory (D.Sc.), Tulane (D.Sc.), Newcastle (D.Sc.), Obafemi Awolowo (DSc), Sussex (MD) and Ibadan (F.U.I.) universities. He was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (FRCOG) ad eundem. His Royal Majesty, the King of Thailand granted him the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of.0 the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn. As part of its centenary celebration, The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine awarded him one of the two Centennial medals issued in recognition of a ‘Lifetime Achievement in Tropical Medicine’.
Main hobby - playing classical music on pipe organs