Kelsey Harrison

Who is Kelsey Harrison?

Kelsey Atangamuerimo Harrison is an emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynaecology and former vice-chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, who contributed immensely to studies of maternal health, especially during pregnancy. As a researcher at the University of Ibadan, he mapped out the effects of severe anaemia on the mother and her baby, and established the safety of treating gross anaemia by packed cell transfusion combined with rapidly acting diuretic. He was also part of a group that discovered the dangerous threat posed by sickle cell disease to maternal and fetal lives among Africans. In Zaria, the results of the work of a team he led, became the most powerful boost to international advocacy for better maternal and perinatal health in developing countries. His work has been recognised within Nigeria and internationally, and he has received several awards and citations including the Nigerian National Order of Merit, and the George Macdonald Medal, which is awarded by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.