Published on: 19 August 2019

Announcement – Passing of Prof Gboyega Adebola Ogunbanjo

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of a distinguished scholar, researcher, academic and senior academic administrator, Prof GA Ogunbanjo who died in the late hours of 17th August 2019 after an illness over the past few months.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Prof Ogunbanjo completed his basic medical training at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria in 1982. Thereafter, he completed his family medicine training at the Medical University of Southern Africa – now Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria in 1996. He was a Fellow of the College of the Family Physicians of South Africa – FCFP(SA), Australian College of Rural & Remote Medicine – FACRRM, Australasian College of Tropical Medicine – (FACTM), South African Academy of Family Practice – FAFP(SA), West African College of Physicians FWACP (Fam Med), and the College of Primary Care Physicians of Zimbabwe – FCPCPZ.

Until his death, he was Chief Specialist, Full Professor and Academic Head: Department of Family Medicine & Primary Health Care, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University. In addition, he was Honorary Professor: Family Medicine & Rural Health department, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha; Adjunct Professor: Dept. of Family Medicine & Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Botswana, Botswana; and Professor: Dept. de Medicine de Familie Université Protestante au Congo, Kinshasa DRC.

He was external examiner to the departments of Family Medicine at Universities of Witwatersrand, Cape Town, Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Walter Sisulu, Stellenbosch in South Africa; Makerere University, Kampala Uganda; Moi University, Eldoret Kenya, Universiti Kebangsan Malaysia (UKM), National University of Rwanda, Protestant University of the Congo (UPC), DRC, University of Botswana & University of Ghana.

As part of his academic citizenship, he played significant roles in the transformation of family medicine into a full specialty in South Africa. He was a frontline player in Family medicine at the national and subcontinental levels. He was the Vice-President of the South African Academy of Family Physicians and Honorary Registrar: Examinations of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA). Prof Ogunbanjo was also a faculty member of the Advancing Research Ethics Training in Southern Africa (ARESA). He was Editor-in-chief: South African Family Practice Journal; Editor: Transactions Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA); Overseas editorial adviser: Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal; Editorial board member: Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases (SAJID); Editorial board member: Advances in Medical Education and Practice Journal; and International Advisory board member: Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences to mention a few. Prof Ogunbanjo was a regular plenary speaker at many national, African and global conferences on Family Medicine & Primary Health Care.

As an established researcher and erudite scientific writer, he had more than 180 publications in local and international peer-reviewed medical journals including book chapters. He has supervised research dissertations of over 90 Masters Students, of which 80 have completed their Masters degrees in Family Medicine. He served as external examiner for a further 96 Masters research dissertations from all eight universities within the health sciences faculties in South Africa and in Malaysia, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, Rwanda & Ghana. He was the recipient of the University Senate Awards for Research Excellence in 2002 to 2005 for the “best research output” (clinical); 2006 to 2008 as an “established researcher” in the school of Medicine, Medical University of Southern Africa.

He was co-researcher on the Coping strategies of health personnel project in collaboration with Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp Belgium (1996 – 1998); Project co-director: South Africa / Australia Joint Links Project 402:2000 (AusAid) – JCU Australia, Medunsa and DOH, Mpumalanga (2000 – 2001); Principal investigator: SPEEDEL study on type 2 diabetes and diabetic nephropathy (Oct 2005 – Dec 2006); 2007 Fellow of the Foundation for the Advancement International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), Philadelphia USA; and Principal Sub-Investigator: CREOLE Study: Comparison of Three Combination Therapies in Lowering Blood Pressure in Black Africans. GSK Open Lab Phase 4. March 2017 – March 2020.

A devote Christian and Associate Pastor at the Cornerstone Assemblies of God church, Pretoria, Prof Ogunbanjo is survived by his beautiful wife – Mrs. Priscilla Ogunbanjo and two lovely, God-fearing sons – Olusegun and Oluseyi.

May his soul rest in peace.