“What I learn here can improve care for tuberculosis patients in Nigeria”
For Dr Zeynab Olamide Rabiu, the Armand Van Deun Scholarship means much more than financial support. Thanks to this scholarship, she can attend the Clinical Decision-Making for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis short course at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp. The knowledge and network she is building here will help her improve care for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis in her home country, Nigeria.
Rabiu began her career as a medical doctor, but soon realised she wanted to broaden her scope. “I wanted to contribute more to public health than by treating individual patients alone,” she explains. That ambition led her to pursue an additional Master's in Public Health and further specialise in disease control. Today, she works in Southwestern Nigeria as a programme manager involved in tuberculosis and leprosy control.
Yet she continued to look for opportunities to strengthen her expertise. The treatment of drug-resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) remains a major challenge. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more 20.000 people develop DR-TB in Nigeria annually. “These patients often respond differently to the available medications. When a treatment is not effective, you have to look for alternatives. That requires highly specialised knowledge.”
"The scholarship gives me extra motivation to put everything I have learned into practice when I return home."
She found that expertise at ITM. “The course has truly broadened my perspective. I have gained new insights into treating patients with symptoms that I encounter in my daily work. There were things I simply did not know before.”
Beyond the course content itself, Rabiu greatly values the international learning environment. “Here, you learn from experts who have years of experience treating these complex patient groups. At the same time, you meet colleagues from different countries who face similar challenges.”
She considers this international network to be one of the greatest benefits of her time in Antwerp. “Even after the course, you can reach out to lecturers and fellow students for advice and support. That network can make a real difference when dealing with difficult cases in the future.”
The programme combines ten weeks of online learning with two weeks of face-to-face teaching on campus in Antwerp. The flexibility of the online component enabled Rabiu to combine her studies with her work in Nigeria. “That is what sets ITM apart from other institutions. I was able to continue working while following the course.”
Ultimately, the Armand Van Deun Scholarship made her participation possible. “Without the scholarship, I would not be here. The cost of the course and the travel expenses would simply have been beyond my means.”
But the impact of the scholarship extends far beyond one individual. Rabiu wants to share the knowledge she has gained in Antwerp with her colleagues and apply it in practice. "The scholarship gives me extra motivation to put everything I have learned into practice when I return home. In this way, the quality of care for tuberculosis patients can improve, benefiting many more people in the long term."
And Antwerp? She has enjoyed that part of the experience as well. “I walk around so much here that on some days I exceed 15,000 steps,” she laughs. “It’s a beautiful city. Though I would advise future students to bring a raincoat!” she adds with a smile.
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