Departmental Affiliations
Center & Institute Affiliations
William Brieger, DrPH ’92, MPH, works on social, cultural and behavior change for tropical disease control and community primary health care in Africa.
Contact Info
615 N. Wolfe Street, Room E8543
Baltimore
Maryland
21205
US
Research Interests
International Health; health education; community participation; malaria; onchocerciasis; Coursera; primary health care; training; program evaluation; qualitative methods; neglected tropical diseases
Additional Links
Experiences & Accomplishments
Education
DrPH
Johns Hopkins University
1992
MPH
University of North Carolina
Overview
From 1976-2002 I was based at the African Regional health Education Center in the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. I continue to work on projects in Nigeria and other African Countries through Jhpiego and other USAID grantees. My major research focus developed from my time in Nigeria and includes learning about the social, cultural and behavioral aspects of health and illness, especially in tropical contexts with an emphasis on programs designed around primary health care, community participation and health education. I have endeavored to learn about health and health care from the community's perspective in order to develop communication bridges between consumers and providers, to learn appropriate community participation mechanisms and to strengthen community capacity during intervention research. My teaching brings these experiences to the learners through online courses at JHU as well as Coursera.
Some projects include 1) community directed malaria control in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, 2) Strategies to eradicate guinea worm and 3) factors associated with annual compliance with ivermectin treatment for the control of onchocerciasis. I have served on various technical advisory committees dealing with child health and tropical diseases. I provide technical assistance on malaria programs through various USAID Implementing Partners in the areas of malaria elimination, social and behavioral change, training and capacity building, and a health systems approach to assessing and planning malaria programs.
Some projects include 1) community directed malaria control in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, 2) Strategies to eradicate guinea worm and 3) factors associated with annual compliance with ivermectin treatment for the control of onchocerciasis. I have served on various technical advisory committees dealing with child health and tropical diseases. I provide technical assistance on malaria programs through various USAID Implementing Partners in the areas of malaria elimination, social and behavioral change, training and capacity building, and a health systems approach to assessing and planning malaria programs.
Honors & Awards
Member, Delta Omega Public Health Honor Society, Alpha Chapter, The Johns Hopkins University, May 1992
Recipient, Douglas Leather Award, 1992, from the Editors of Health Education Research, Theory and Practice
Honorary Chieftaincy Title, the Atunluse of Idere Town, Oyo State Nigeria, August 1992
Honorary Chieftaincy Title, the Otun Baasegun of Igbo-ora Town, Oyo State Nigeria, May, 1994
Distinguished Alumnus Award, Department of Health Behaviour and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, July 1994
Member, Task Force on Community-Directed Treatment of Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis (1999) and Task Force on Filariasis Intervention Research (2000, 2001), Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization.
Eunice Tyler Practice Award, March 2003, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina; awarded to alumni who have "made a notable impact on public health education."
Award of Merit – for Contributions to the Development of Public Health in Africa. Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, 27th July 2008
American Public Health Association International Health Section. 2015 Gordon-Wyon Award for Community-Oriented Public Health, Epidemiology and Practice.
Recipient, Douglas Leather Award, 1992, from the Editors of Health Education Research, Theory and Practice
Honorary Chieftaincy Title, the Atunluse of Idere Town, Oyo State Nigeria, August 1992
Honorary Chieftaincy Title, the Otun Baasegun of Igbo-ora Town, Oyo State Nigeria, May, 1994
Distinguished Alumnus Award, Department of Health Behaviour and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, July 1994
Member, Task Force on Community-Directed Treatment of Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis (1999) and Task Force on Filariasis Intervention Research (2000, 2001), Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization.
Eunice Tyler Practice Award, March 2003, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina; awarded to alumni who have "made a notable impact on public health education."
Award of Merit – for Contributions to the Development of Public Health in Africa. Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, 27th July 2008
American Public Health Association International Health Section. 2015 Gordon-Wyon Award for Community-Oriented Public Health, Epidemiology and Practice.
Select Publications
Recent Publications in peer reviewed journals. One can also access my bi-monthly malaria reviews in Africa Health via http://africa-health.com/category/africa-health-journals/
- Okeibunor JC, Orji BC, Brieger W, Ishola G, Otolorin EO, Rawlins B, Ndekhedehe EU, Onyeneho N, and Fink G. Preventing malaria in pregnancy through community-directed interventions: evidence from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Malaria Journal 2011; 10:227 http://www.malariajournal.com/content/10/1/227/abstract
- Oyibo W, Ezeigwe N, Ntadom G, Oladosu O, Rainwater K, O'Meara W, Okpokoro E, and Brieger W. A Multicenter Pivotal Clinical Trial of a Urine Malaria Test (UMT) for the Rapid Diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria. Journal of Clinical Microbiology (American Society for Microbiology). 2016; 55 (1): 253-263. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01431-16. http://jcm.asm.org/content/55/1/253.long
- Orji B, Rao N, Thompson E, Otolorin E, Brieger W. Community health workers provide integrated community case management using malaria rapid diagnostic test kits. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy. 2016 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2016.09.006, http://www.rsap.org/article/S1551-7411(16)30449-1/fulltext
- Brieger WR, Sommerfeld JU, Amazigo UV, CDI Study Group. The Potential for Community Directed Interventions: Reaching Under-Served Populations in Africa. International Quarterly of Community Health Education. 2015; 35(4): 295–316.
- Haver J, Brieger W, Zoungrana J, Ansari N, Kagoma J. Experiences engaging community health workers to provide maternal and newborn health services: Implementation of four programs. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics 2015; 130(S2): S32-39
Projects
Malaria in Pregnancy Control in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria
Monitoring & Evaluation Support for the Nigeria Malaria Booster Program-Consultation
Feasibility Study on Intermittent Preventive Treatment of Malaria in Pregnancy at the Community Level in Burkina Faso