Jean Claude Mbanya
Endocrinologist and former President of the International Diabetes Federation
Related city : Yaoundé
Who are they?
Jean Claude Mbanya qualified in medicine at the University of Yaoundé in 1979, then earned a PhD and MRCP at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Professor of Medicine and Endocrinology at the University of Yaoundé I, he directs the National Obesity Centre at Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital and the doctoral school of life, health and environmental sciences.
What made them famous
He was President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) from 2009 to 2012 and is now its honorary president. In that role he championed the first United Nations High-Level Meeting on non-communicable diseases, held in 2011. His research covers the epidemiology of diabetes, hypertension and thyroid disease, and their burden on health systems in developing countries.
Key facts
- Awarded a scholarship to study chemical engineering, he turned to medicine because his father had diabetes.
- The American Diabetes Association gave him its Harold Rifkin Award for international service in 2004.
- The University of Oslo awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2011; he is married to the haematologist Dora Mbanya.