DRASA Health Trust (DRASA) works with government, local and international partners, community leaders, students, and health workers to promote adequate sanitation and hygiene, reduce and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, and strengthen Nigeria’s health security and emergency preparedness.
DRASA is named after Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, the courageous doctor who lost her life while diagnosing and containing the first case of Ebola in Nigeria. The organization was established to continue her legacy of protecting public health.
Why Their Work Matters: Communicable diseases like malaria and tuberculosis are a major cause of death in Nigeria’s rural communities and account for roughly 76% of child mortality. DRASA works to contribute to a health system that is prepared to prevent, detect, and contain infectious diseases and health threats through training programs, simulation exercises, community education and outreach, policy development, and advocacy.
To date, DRASA's Centre for Infection Prevention and Patient Safety (CICAPS) has trained over 60 health care workers. They are currently implementing all they have gained from this curriculum to make the health facilities and hospitals where they work safe places that deliver quality care.
- 1,700+ health workers received lifesaving training through DRASA's flagship Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Training program. Trainees gain skills to help identify and control the spread of infectious diseases.
- In 2021, 357+ teachers and administrators impacted by COVID-19 received DRASA support. This spanned across 332 public and low-income primary and secondary schools.
DRASA continues to support the development of infection prevention professionals - currently a major gap in Nigeria’s health sector - by training and equipping health personnel through handson IPC trainings and simulation exercises. DRASA is committed to scaling it to meet the needs of more than 10,000 healthcare workers yearly by establishing Nigeria's first IPC Simulation Training Center.
Niniola Williams
Niniola Williams leads the team at DRASA (Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh) Health Trust. Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh was Niniola’s aunt and DRASA was founded a year after her death to address gaps and build resilience in the health system while honoring her legacy of protecting public health and saving lives.
Prior to leading DRASA, Niniola worked with Management Sciences for Health (MSH), a global health organization operating in over 50 countries with a focus on priority health issues such as HIV & AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Before MSH, Niniola worked with a brand agency while also serving on the core team of Keiyo Soy, a Kenyan nonprofit focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene projects as well as medical outreach programs.
Niniola holds a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science and neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and is currently enrolled in an MSc in Public Health with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is certified in Antimicrobial Resistance (University of Paris Diderot Medical School/Fondation Merieux), Project Management (University of Washington), Social Sector Management (Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University), and Infection Prevention and Control (University of Lagos, College of Medicine).
She is a member of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD), Avance Media 100 Most Influential Young Nigerians honoree, a two-time TEDx speaker and an Acumen West Africa Fellow. Niniola is also a member of the faculty of the Center for Infection Control and Patient Safety (CICAPS) at the University of Lagos College of Medicine where she delivers lectures and facilitates the year-round implementation of Nigeria’s official in-service Infection Prevention and Control curriculum for health workers.
