By Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon.
Prof. Peter Martins Ndumbe, eminent Cameroonian Professor in Immunology is no more. Prof. Ndumbe died Tuesday, May 14 2013 in a hospital in South Africa.
According to family sources, he fell sick in his WHO office of operations in Brazzaville, Congo and was rushed to South Africa, where he gave up the ghost.
Prof Peter Ndumbe
Peter Martins Ndumbe was born in Mbonge, Meme Division, South west Region. Until his demise, he was a Medical Doctor specialised in Infectious Disease, Immunology and Clinical Epidemiology.
He obtained the Doctor of Medicine in 1978 from the University Centre for Health Sciences, University of Yaoundé with Mention “Très honorable.”
From 1981 – 82, he attended the London School of Hygiene and graduated with a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology and a PhD in Immunology.
The deceased served in various administrative and professional positions. These, include Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I from 1999 to 2006. From 2006 – May 2011, he was redeployed to the University of Buea, UB, as Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, taking over from the pioneer Dean, Prof. Theodosia McMoli, who had gone on deserved retirement.
Thanks to research and hard work, Peter Ndumbe, from 1997 became a Professor of Virus Immunology at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé I. He did serve as Director of the Centre for the study and control of Communicable Diseases in the same university.
Prof. Ndumbe was a member of several national, international professional and academic societies. Since 2003 until his death, he was the chair of the Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, STAC of the UNICEF, UNDP, WORLD BANK and WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, TDR.
He was a founding member and chair of the Task Force on Immunisation for the African Region since 2004, with the responsibility to look out for a new vaccine against tuberculosis, malaria and HIV.
Prof. Ndumbe is the 2nd Vice President of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences, member of the Cameroon Medical Association since 1979,member of the Institute of Biology, UK since 1989, member of the International AIDS Society since 1990, member of the Society on AIDS in Africa since 1991.
The erudite medic consulted for GTZ in the training of medical officers for the Southwest and Northwest Regions of Cameroon in HIV/AIDS management.
After he was replaced as the Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, UB, May 2011, he joined the WHO AFRO OFFICE in Brazzaville, Congo as the Director of Library, Science and Publication.
Prof Ndumbe is survived by two children and hordes of friends in the world of science, medicine and academia to mourn him.
At press time, the funeral and burial programmes were yet to be made public.
