ODELL KUMEH, MD, MMSc
COORDINATOR OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AT COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
Office Address: AM Dogliotti Medical School Campus, Catholic Junction, Monrovia
Biography
Dr. Kumeh is a Global Heath expert who has worked in the public health sector of Liberia over 10 years having oversight responsibilities for the implementation of the Ministry of Health policies and plans in counties that she headed as the County Health Officer, specifically Maryland and Bomi counties. With the effective and efficient system put in place, the County Health Team was timely in reporting data collected to the Health Management Information System (HMIS). During the Ebola outbreak in Liberia in 2014, one of the countries hardest hit during the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the region, she was the only Doctor in Maryland providing and coordinating both curative and preventive services. Dr. Kumeh served as head of the Incident Management Team correlating with NGOs and various partners ensuring that the county was very strategic in combating the spread of Ebola. This process was well implemented in collaboration with the communities. Due to this robust process and because we were able to analyze the Ebola data on hand in the county, the county was not overwhelmed with the outbreak of EVD, because of the immediate decisions and actions taken. She played a key role in health promotion in Maryland county, devising strategies and also on the frontline during the outbreak, joining the health team to disseminate information and health messages to the general population. With the knowledge and experience gained from the Ebola Virus outbreak, during the insurgence of COVID -19 crisis in Liberia, Dr. Kumeh volunteered her services at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia forming a part of the Case Management Pillar, and directly involved in the training of health workers across the country in the infection prevention control and case management. She believes in the development of Students and faculty, and as such mentored students at the Tubman University in Harper, Maryland County. She is the coordinator of Teaching and Learning at the College of Health Sciences, University of Liberia, and also a Lead facilitator in the Faculty Development Program, helping faculty improve their teaching skills.
QUALIFICATION
MD, University of Liberia, 2007
MMSc, Harvard University, 2018
CURRENT ENGAGEMENT
Public Health Seminar
PUBLICATIONS
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Kumeh OW, Fallah MP, Desai IK, Gilbert HN, Silverstein JB, Beste S, Beste J, Mukherjee JS, Richardson ET. Literacy is power: structural drivers of child malnutrition in rural Liberia. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. 2020 Dec 1:bmjnph-2020.
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Kobayashi M, Beer KD, Bjork A, Chatham-Stephens K, Cherry CC, Arzoaquoi S, Frank W, Kumeh O, Sieka J, Yeiah A, Painter JE. Community knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Ebola virus disease—five counties, Liberia, September–October, 2014. MMWR. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. 2015 Jul 10;64(26):714.
Research
RESEARCH INTERESTSS
Malnutrition
Social determinants
RESEARCH METHODS
Focus group discussion
Systematic review