Cicely Williams

Who is Cicely Williams?

Cicely Williams was a Jamaican physician, most notable for her discovery and research into kwashiorkor, a condition of advanced malnutrition, and her campaign against the use of sweetened condensed milk and other artificial baby milks as substitutes for human breast milk.

One of the first female graduates of Oxford University, Dr Williams was instrumental in advancing the field of maternal and child health in developing nations, and in 1948 became the first director of Mother and Child Health at the newly created World Health Organization. She once remarked that “if you learn your nutrition from a biochemist, you’re not likely to learn how essential it is to blow a baby's nose before expecting him to suck.”