I remember vividly how I met this giant of Public Health. I had just completed my summer and first terms of Public Health at Johns Hopkins as an international student. My journey to Hopkins was a tale of borrowed funds, self denial and drudgery in order to get the best public health education in the world. Graduating from a Nigerian medical school eight years prior to this, I was battling with new learning/teaching methods. Here we were all assumed to know what we were doing. I had worked in the development field for more than three years prior to my back-to-school project for my MPH, yet, I had no experience in randomized controlled clinical trials and other research methods. Though I had thoroughly enjoyed my statistics classes (finally understanding the reasons behind some of the decisions we took on the field), and some of my other classes, I was almost despairing and questioning how useful my “Hopkins” masters would be to me in the real world back in Nigeria. Back home, service provision of the most basic amenities to the people had yet to be achieved, thus, I choose a course called “Case studies in Primary Health Care” by Professor Carl Taylor which looked a relevant choice. From the very first class, I was mesmerized; this gentle giant had not only witnessed but been an integral part of bodies that shaped the field of public health most of us had only read about in text books. Though he was old, he painted very vivid pictures and spoke passionately about how to make public health programs sustainable especially in rural settings, and why communities must own their future. His experience ranged from the bedrock of Public health - the Alma Ata declaration, to others like the use of community volunteers in India, Barefoot doctors in China, community involvement, primary health care centres, etc. These are all part of his legacy to us and the global public health arena. In fact one of the Nigerian fathers of public health, Professor Ransome Kuti, had been one of his protégées.
Personally, what served to renew my faith in my educational and career decision was that his focus for intervention was service and not research based. He reinforced my belief that service to the people is the most important aspect of public health and emphasized that if good records are kept along the way and the process properly documented then operational research is borne. Of course being a scientist the battle and the need to write up ones achievement in scientific peer reviewed journal is ever present and where possible should be encouraged. I firmly believe however, that clinical trials should not be at the expense of service delivery; Professor Taylor made me feel less of a misfit in an academically driven environment like Hopkins. I write from my work desk in Nigeria, not because I knew him the most nor that we forged any special bond; but, because he made such a profound impact on me, my chosen profession and my approach to public health. I will forever remain grateful and humbled to have had the opportunity to learn from this giant of public health and I wish his family the fortitude to bear this great loss. Lilian N. Anomnachi MD, MPH '09
Director
Communications & Knowledge Management
Family Health International (FHI) Nigeria «Back to other tributes | 
