Dr. Benjamin S.C. Uzochukwu
	Senior Lecturer and Consultant Public health physician in the Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu-Campus, Nigeria.

Contact information:
Department of Community Medicine,
College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu-Campus,
Tel (Office): +234-42-259609
Mobile: +234-8033130050
E mail: bscuzochukwu@yahoo.com

Research profile
Dr Uzochuku focuses his research on the effect of decentralization on utilization of primary health care services, impact of user fees on households and exemptions policies; community participation within the context of health sector reform; social determinants of health, family planning issues, rational drug use, economics of malaria and HIV/AIDS control, scaling up malaria and HIV control interventions, and getting research into policy and practice.

Background
Dr Benjamin S.C. Uzochukwu is a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Public health physician in the Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu-campus and Department of Health Administration and Management of same institution. He was Medical Officer and Principal Medical officer, Ministry of Health Anambra state between 1986 and 1995 and consulted for WHO Nigeria on integrated disease surveillance and Response between 2000 and 2007.

He holds the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degrees of the University of Jos, Nigeria (1983), Diploma in Public Administration, Institute of Journalism Enugu, Nigeria (1996), Fellowship of the West African College of Physician in Community Health (1999) and Master of Public Health of the University of Nigeria Enugu-campus (2000). He teaches environmental health to undergraduate and post graduate medical students and Health Policy and Systems to MPH students and undergraduate and postgraduate students of the department of Health Administration and Management.

Dr  Uzochukwu is a member of several learned societies and networks including Nigeria Network for Prevention of Maternal Mortality (PMM), Association of Public Health Physicians of Nigeria (APHPN), Anambra State Action Committee on AIDS/HIV (SACA), Anambra State National Poverty Eradication Programme Implementation Committee, Enugu State Malaria Control Mobilization Committee (Representing University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu), West African Doctors’ Network, West Africa Health Economics Network (WAHEN), International Health Economics Association (iHEA), Consortium for Research in Equitable Health System (CREHS) based in the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Health Economics and Policy Network in Africa (HEPNet) and Health Policy Analysis Network in Africa.
           

Research Interest and Grant Awards
His research interests include the generation of knowledge on the effect of health sector reform processes on tropical diseases and reproductive health issues, focusing on the effect of decentralization on utilization of PHC services, impact of user fees on households and exemptions policies in Nigeria: community participation within the context of health sector reform; social determinants of health, family planning issues, rational drug use, economics of malaria and HIV/AIDS control, scaling up malaria and HIV control interventions, getting research into policy and practice and Strengthening Postgraduate Public Health Education

Current research projects

1. WHO/ TDR- funded study on: Cost effectiveness analysis & willingness to pay for competing diagnostic strategies for malaria in Nigeria. ID No  A50076:
2. Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research funded project on: Human Resources for Health: Strengthening Postgraduate Public Health Education capacity for Health Policy and System Research.
3. Consortium for Research in Equitable Health System (CREHS)/DFID-funded study on: An assessment of policy development and implementation process of District Health System in Enugu state Nigeria.
4. Consortium for Research in Equitable Health System (CREHS)/DFID-funded study on: Community Based Health Insurance Scheme in Anambra State, Nigeria: an analysis of policy development, implementation and equity effects.
5. Consortium for Research in Equitable Health System (CREHS)/DFID-funded study on:Benefit and Financial incidence of different health care financing mechanisms in Enugu and Anambra states, Nigeria
6. WHO/TDR/HRP/ALLIANCE-HPSR (Commission on Social Determinants of Health Priority Public health Conditions Knowledge Network)-Funded Study on: Immunization program in Anambra state, Nigeria: an analysis of policy development, and implementation of the Reaching Every Ward (REW) strategy.
7. WHO-funded study on Governance of the Nigerian Health System

Selected Publications

1.  Onwujekwe OE and Uzochukwu BSC (2004). Stated and actual altruistic willingness to pay for   insecticide-treated nets in Nigeria: validity of open-ended versus binary with follow-up questions. Health Economics 13(5): 477-492
2. Onwujekwe Obinna, Uzochukwu Benjamin, Shu Elvis, Ibeh Christian and Okonkwo Paul (2004). Is combination therapy for malaria based on user-fees worthwhile and equitable to consumers? Assessment of costs and willingness to pay in Southeast Nigeria. Acta Tropica, 91(2): 101-115
3. .Uzochukwu BSC, Onwujekwe OE, Erikkson Bo. 2004. Inequity in Bamako Initiative. Implications for control of Malaria in South East Nigeria. International Journal of Health Planning and Management. 19 (S1): S107-S116.
4. Onwujekwe OE, Dike N and Uzochukwu BSC (2004). Have we been over-estimating the burden of malaria based on household responses? Implications for improving treatment in Nigeria. Tropical Doctor (In press).
5. Uzochukwu BSC, Onwujekwe OE. (2004). Socio-economic differences and health seeking behaviour for the diagnosis and treatment of malaria: a case study of four local government areas operating the Bamako initiative programme in south-east Nigeria. International Journal of Equity in Health. 2004, 3-6 dol:10.1186/1475-9276-3-6
6. Dike NM, Onwujekwe OE, Eke UK, Eze SB, Obikeze EN, Uzochukwu, BSC, Shu EN and Igiliegbe GC. (2004). Where do people mostly go for Malaria? Market share of different treatment sources before and after implementation of a community-based health worker system in rural Nigeria. Journal of Medical Research and Technology; 1 (1): 24-33.
7. Onwujekwe OE, Uzochukwu BSC (2005). Socio-economic and geographic differentials in costs and payment strategies for primary health care services in Southeast Nigeria. Health Policy, 71(3): 383-397
8. Uzochukwu BSC, Onwujekwe OE. (2005). Healthcare reform involving the introduction of user fees and Drug Revolving Funds: Influence on health workers’ behavior in South east Nigeria. Health Policy, 75: 1-8
9. Onwujekwe OE, Nkem Dike & Uzochukwu Benjamin (2005). Issues in measuring and improving the treatment of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. Tropical Doctor; 35(4): 224-5
10. Onwujekwe O. Ojukwu J, Uzochukwu B, Dike N, Ikeme A and Shu E. (2005). Where do people from socio-economic groups receive diagnosis and treatment for presumptive malaria in south-eastern Nigeria? Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology, vol 99, No. 5, 473-481.
11. Obinna Onwujekwe, Benjamin Uzochukwu, Nkoli Ezumah, Elvis Shu. (2005). Increasing coverage of insecticide-treated nets in rural Nigeria: implications of consumer knowledge, preferences and expenditures for malaria prevention. Malaria Journal 2005, 4:29 doi:10.1186/1475-2875-4-29
12. Onwujekwe O, Dike N, Uzochukwu B, Onwughalu B and Ike E. (2005) Inequities in drugs Prescription, cost and quality of malaria treatment in Nigeria: Implications for use of artemisinin-based combination therapy. Abstract/Acta Tropica 95S: S76-S77.
13. Dike N, Onwujekwe E, Shu E, Uzochukwu B. (2005). Market share of treatment sources before after introducing community based health workers in Nigeria. Abstract/Acta Tropica 95S: S96-S97.
14. Uzochukwu B, Egenti B, Onwujekwe O, Ughasoro M, Omotowo B. Malaria illness prevention and treatment in pregnancy: Implication for malaria control in south east Nigeria. Abstract/Acta Tropica 95S: S127.
15. Obikeze E, Onwujekwe O, Uzochukwu B, Dike N. (2005). Socioeconomics differentials in health seeking for the treatment of malaria in Nigeria: An agenda for health care reform. Abstract/Acta Tropica 95S: S400.
16. Uzochukwu B, Okwale B, Onwujekwe O, Ughasoro M. (2005). Anti malaria drug information in Patent Medicine dealers in south east Nigeria? Abstract/Acta Tropica 95S: S411.
17. Ohuegbe U, Dike N, Onwujekwe O, Ojukwu J, Ikeme A, Uzochukwu B, Shu E. (2005). Influence of education and knowledge about malaria on perceptions and practices to its control in south east Nigeria. U Abstract/Acta Tropica 95S: S432-S433.
18. Obinna Onwujekwe, Nkem Dike, Benjamin Uzochukwu. (2005). Issues of measuring and improving the treatment of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, Tropical Doctor; 35: 224-225
19. Dike N, Onwujekwe O, Ikeme A, Uzochukwu B and Shu E. (2006). Do educational attainment and knowledge about malaria play a role in people’s perception, behaviour and practice to the disease control? Social Science & Medicine 63; 103–106
20. Okeke TA, Okafor AU, Uzochukwu BS. (2006). Traditional Healers in Nigeria: Perceptions of causes, treatment and referral practices for severe Malaria. J Biosoc Sci. 38(4): 491-500
21. Obinna Onwujekwe, Juliana Ojukwu, Nkoli Ezuma, Benjamin Uzochukwu, Nkem Dike, Soludo Eze. (2006). Socioeconomic differences in preferences and WTP for different health care providers of malaria treatment in southeast Nigeria. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2006 Sep;75(3):421-9
22. Uzochukwu BS, Onwujekwe OE. (2006). Exemption policies and community preferences for tropical endemic diseases in the Bamako initiative programme in Nigeria. 36(3):132-6
23. Okeke, TA, Uzochukwu BS and Okafor HU. An in-depth study of patent medicine sellers' perspectives on malaria in a rural Nigerian community. Malaria Journal 2006, 5:97   
24. Obinna Onwujekwe, Benjamin Uzochukwu, Juliana Ojukwu, Nkem Dike, and Elvis Shu (2006). Feasibility of a community health worker strategy for providing near and appropriate treatment of malaria in southeast Nigeria: an analysis of activities, costs and outcomes. Acta Tropica. (in press)  
25. Onwujekwe O, Dike N, Ojukwu J, Uzochukwu B, Ezumah N, Shu E, Okonkwo P. Consumers stated and revealed preferences for community health workers and other strategies for the provision of timely and appropriate treatment of malaria in southeast Nigeria. Malar J. 2006 Dec 1;5(1):117
26. Onwujekwe O, Uzochukwu B Ojukwu J, Dike N, Shu E, Feasibility of a community health worker strategy for providing near and appropriate treatment of malaria in southeast Nigeria: An analysis of activities, costs and outcomes. Acta Tropica 101 (2007) 95–105
27. B.S.C. Uzochukwu, O.E. Onwujekwe, E.A. Nwobi, A.C. Ndu. (2007). Differences in rural households’ perceptions and prioritization of malaria and other tropical diseases in Nigeria: Implications for priority- setting for resource allocation. Journal of World Health and Population. September 2007.
28. Obinna Onwujekwe, Juliana Ojukwu, Elvis Shu, and Benjamin Uzochukwu. Inequities in Valuation of Benefits, Choice of Drugs, and Mode of Payment for Malaria Treatment Services Provided by Community Health Workers in Nigeria. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 77(1), 2007, pp. 16-21
29. BS Uzochukwu, OE Onwujekwe EA, Ezeilo, E Nwobi, AC Ndu, C Onoka. (2007). Scaling-up Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) in Nigeria: Integrated management of childhood illness in Nigeria: Does short-term training of health workers improve their performance?  Public Health 2007, 122 (4): 367-370
30. Obinna Onwjekwe, Benjamin Uzochukwu, Soludo Eze, Eric Obikeze, Chijioke Okoli, Ogbonnia Ochonma (2008). Improving equity in malaria treatment. Relationship of socio-economic status with health-seeking as well as with perceptions of case of using the services of different providers for the treatment of malaria in Nigeria. Malaria Journal 2008, 7:5.
31. Uzochukwu BSC, Onwujekwe OE, Onoka CA, Ughasoro MD (2008). Rural-Urban Differences in Maternal Responses to Childhood Fever in South East
32. Nigeria. PLoS One (Accepted for publication)