Dr. Ayodeji Oluwole Odutolu is a Senior Health Specialist in the Africa Region at the World Bank. He is a medical graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile –Ife and had his post graduate training in Health Population and Nutrition from Keele University in the United Kingdom. He has extensive experience for more than 20 years working as project manager, international consultant, researcher and health advisor to governments and international organizations. He has special skills in strategic planning, project management, monitoring and evaluation, healthcare financing and policy development. He has a rich career history, marked with multiple successfully conceptualized and implemented innovative, target group-focused strategies in development projects at grassroots, national and international levels. Before joining the World Bank, he was the Country Director of the Harvard AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria (APIN) for about five years (2001 -2006). He also consulted for Harvard School of Public Health (2006-2009) and the World Bank (2005 -2009) on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Health System Strengthening in West Africa and the Caribbean region. In his current assignment, he leads innovative approaches in health care delivery at the primary health care level in Nigeria. Such innovations include results based financing, service delivery indicators surveys and promoting accountability in health care delivery to reduce social inequality and improve health outcomes of children and pregnant women in otherwise marginalized and poorly served communities and regions of Nigeria.
As a social entrepreneur, Dr. Odutolu was the founder and the first Program Director (1994-2001) of a Nigerian NGO Life Vanguards Inc. This was the foundation of his work in development. In the position, he led several projects in adolescent sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention, leadership and entrepreneurial skills development and youth development. Thousands of youths benefited from the programme and some of them have become social entrepreneurs contributing to the growth of their societies or working with international development organizations. He was awarded the Osun State (Nigeria) Merit award in 2005 for life long contribution to youth development.
Prior to founding Life Vanguards, he pioneered medical practice in rural and semi-urban areas. He was the first Medical Officer of the Comprehensive Health Center, Ejigbo and ran a private clinic in the same town providing serve for what is now five local government areas in Oyo and Osun State. It was a successful practice and his experience was the bases for his interest in public health knowing fully well that we can active prevent most of diseases that are repeatedly seen in the clinics and promote good health.
He is a member of many international organizations. He is a fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health and a Paul Harris Fellow. He published widely in scientific journals and he served as editor of and contributor to the first edition of AIDS in Nigeria: A Nation on a Threshold and The Africa Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program (MAP) 2000-2006: Results of the World Bank's Response to a Development Crisis. His current interest is in social equity.
As a social entrepreneur, Dr. Odutolu was the founder and the first Program Director (1994-2001) of a Nigerian NGO Life Vanguards Inc. This was the foundation of his work in development. In the position, he led several projects in adolescent sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention, leadership and entrepreneurial skills development and youth development. Thousands of youths benefited from the programme and some of them have become social entrepreneurs contributing to the growth of their societies or working with international development organizations. He was awarded the Osun State (Nigeria) Merit award in 2005 for life long contribution to youth development.
Prior to founding Life Vanguards, he pioneered medical practice in rural and semi-urban areas. He was the first Medical Officer of the Comprehensive Health Center, Ejigbo and ran a private clinic in the same town providing serve for what is now five local government areas in Oyo and Osun State. It was a successful practice and his experience was the bases for his interest in public health knowing fully well that we can active prevent most of diseases that are repeatedly seen in the clinics and promote good health.
He is a member of many international organizations. He is a fellow of the Royal Institute of Public Health and a Paul Harris Fellow. He published widely in scientific journals and he served as editor of and contributor to the first edition of AIDS in Nigeria: A Nation on a Threshold and The Africa Multi-Country HIV/AIDS Program (MAP) 2000-2006: Results of the World Bank's Response to a Development Crisis. His current interest is in social equity.