الشيخ محجوب جعفر (أول علماء الفطريات)

El Sheikh Mahgoub Gaafar
El-Sheikh Mahgoub GaafarEl
Professor E1-Sheikh Mahgoub Gaafar is one of Sudan most outstanding mycologists and researchers, and an international authority on mycetoma and clinical bacteriology.
Professor Mahgoub was born on 2 March 1935 in Nori (Karima), Northern Province, Sudan. He was educated in Karima Primary School, Shendi Rural Intermediate School, Wadi Seidna Secondary School. He obtained his MB BS from Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum in 1961, and PhD University of London (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) in August 1965, Diploma of Bacteriology (University of London) in 1966, MD Pathology, University of Khartoum in 1974, MRC Pathology in 1980, and FRC Pathology, United Kingdom in 1985.
Professor Mahgoub had extensive training in Medical Microbiology, Medical Mycology, Medical Education, and Health Research.
His medical career started in May 1962 as Research Assistant, Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum.
Professor Mahgoub has now more than 43 years of teaching, training, and research in Medical Microbiology and Medical Mycology. During these years, he worked in the Public Health Laboratory Service in Brighton, England, where he gained experience in routine diagnostic service and public health microbiology in 1965. He then worked in the Bacteriology Department, St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School, the Wright-Fleming Institute, London for more experience in handling microbiological specimens. He attended the course for the Academic Post-graduate Diploma in Bacteriology of the University of London in the School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and obtained the Diploma in Bacteriology in June 1966 October 1965-June 1966.

Career

In July 1966, he was appointed lecturer in the Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum, Senior Lecturer in July 1969, Reader July 1972, and Professor in July 1974.  
While on Sabbatical Leave (July 1976-July 1977) at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, he did research on the role of cell-mediated immunity in fungal infections with special reference to mycetoma. During the same period he gave lectures to both undergraduate and postgraduate students at several medical schools and hospitals in the University of London on Mycology Research.
He gained experience in clinical microbiology diagnosis in the West Middlesex Hospital, London.

Expatriate career

During the period July 1977-1984, he worked as Professor of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During this period, he established the Department of Microbiology in the Faculty of Medicine and King Khalid Hospital and supervised all routine diagnostic services in both King Khalid and King Abd Al Aziz University Hospitals. This period witnessed substantial increase in the teaching of clinical microbiology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels and hospital services. Supervised and participated in teaching medical microbiology to medical, dental, and postgraduate students.
At the end of this period, the Department of Pathology (Microbiology) was recognized as a training place for clinical microbiology by the Royal College of Pathologists in the United Kingdom.
During the period July 1979-1984, he was appointed Head, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA. He was then chairperson of the Infection Control Committees in both King Khalid and King Abd Al Aziz University Hospitals, and member of the Faculty Board.
In 1980, he established a Mycoses Clinic in King Abd Al Aziz University Hospital, Riyadh, KSA.

University of Khartoum

During the period July 1984-November 1985 November 1985-April 1988, he was Professor of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan, and Head, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology.

Publications

Published two books, one by Heinemann Medical Books, London, and the other by Janssen Research Council, Beerse, Belgium, and 89 papers in the field of Medical Microbiology and Medical Mycology.

Minsterial responsibilites

In May 1988, Professor Gaafar was called upon to hold the post of Minister of Education, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Khartoum, Sudan. A post he held for one year ending June 1989. During this period, he planned policies and strategies for general and higher education, as well as scientific research in Sudan.

WHO

During the period August-November 1972, he worked as Consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO), course in Medical Mycology, Teheran, Iran. In February 1990-1995, he was selected Regional Adviser for Research Promotion and Development, Tropical Diseases Research, WHO, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office. During this period, WHO gave priority to the establishment of Research units in the Ministries of Health in the Region, supported research proposals in the fields of health research, basic research and health systems research.
During the period March 1993-April 1996, he worked as Regional Adviser for Human Resources Promotion and Management, WHO/EMRO. As such, he gave technical advice to countries in the Region on production of Doctors (i.e. medical schools) by adopting the proper policies that match employment opportunities. He also encouraged and advised medical faculties to adopt new trends in medical education, e.g. curriculum development, problem solving and community orientation.
During the period June 1994-April 1997, he was Director of Health Services Development. With the concerned Regional Advisers, he lead and coordinated the work of the Units in the Division namely Human Resources Policy, Planning and Management, Nursing and Paramedical Development, Quality of Care and Health Care technology, Essential Drugs, and Primary Health Care Support. This incurred preparing the budget, drafting policies and strategies and supervising implementation of the whole Programme.
Durign May 1997- December 1998, he acted as Regional Adviser, Educational Development for Health, Personnel and Regional Adviser for Research Policy and Strategy Coordination.
Since he left WHO, he is in the WHO Consultants roster.
Professor of Microbiology, Jordan University of Science & Technology.
Feb. 2003 to date: Professor of Medical Education & Research, Sudan Medical Specilisation Board.
Professor Gaafar held memberships to several learned socieites,[i]and several editorial responsibilities,[ii]and accorded several prizes in recognition of his excellent service career.[iii]He attended and participated in more than 80 regional and international meetings and conferences either reading papers or participating in Panel discussions. He was chairperson for several learned bodies.[iv]
University activities and organization
Professor Gaafar held the post of Head, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum during the period May 1974-May 1976, and acted as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum on several occasions.
In 1968, he stablished a mycetoma ward and clinic in Khartoum North Civil Hospital for therapeutic and diagnostic research in Mycetoma with the help of the Overseas Development Administration of the United Kingdom, World Health Organization, Ministry of Health and University of Khartoum.

Supervision of postgraduate students

Professor Gaafar supervised research studies by medical, veterinary and science postgraduate students for attainment of MSc and MD in microbiology. He acctively participated in the teaching of students of the MSc Pathology Course in Sudan. He conducted Research Methodology Modules to postgraduate students in Public Health in Syrian Arab Republic, in the years 1997, 1998. He taught postgraduate students in medical mycology courses in Lisbon, Portugal in 1997 and 1998. On several occasions, he acted as Examiner for Postgraduate students in Clinical Microbiology in Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

Courses on research

He conducted courses on Research Methodology, health systems research (HSR), and Health Research at postgraduate level in several countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Teaching

Professor Gaafar taught Medical Microbiology to undergraduate medical students, technicians and postgraduates in the University of Khartoum, 1962-1976 and in the College of Medicine, King Saud university, from 1977 to 1984. He has taken the same duties at the Faculy of Medicine, Khartoum, up to 1989.

Routine diagnostic microbiology

Professor Gaafar supervised routine diagnostic clinical microbiology laboratories in Sudan and Saudi Arabia. He supervised all cultural, serological and histological aspects of diagnostic mycology in the Departments of Microbiology in Khartoum and at King Abd Al Aziz and King Khalid Hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and has been advising clinicians on the management and treatment of the various mycoses and clinical use of antibiotics.

Sources and Notes





[i] He holds fellowships of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene since 1964, and memberships of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM) since 1964, World Health Organization Expert Committee (Parasitology) 1975-1990, Standing Committee for Serology of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology, Committee for the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,1982-85, Sudanese Society for Pathologists since 1984, Council of the High Institute of Public Health, University of Alexandria, 1994-1997, Scientific Committee of the Italian-Egyptian Cooperation Project for the Promotion of the Medical Research Council, University of Alexandria, 1994-. He was elected Vice-President to ISHAM in 1977, and Honorary Vice-President for the Eastern Mediterranean of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Alumini Association since 1992
[ii] Chief Editor and Referee to the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Health Services Journal (1990-1994), referee to the Saudi Medical Journal, member of the Editorial Board and Referee to the Journal of Medical and Veterinary Mycology, member of the Editorial Panel of ‘Mycopathologia’, Germany, member of the Khartoum University Press Editorial Committee, and referee to the Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, UK.
[iii] Ademola Prize of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 1987, the Shousha Prize and medal of the World Health Organization for outstanding contribution to health promotion in the EMR/WHO in 1989.

[iv] Chairperson of the Council, Omdurman Islamic University (1986-1988), Chairperson of the Medical Research Council, Sudan, 1986-1988, Chairperson of the Services’ Committee in the Sudan Government’s Salvation Programme, 1987.

Comments

Unknown said…

A detailed account of the career of this great person.
I suggest that you add few lines about his post at the council of medical specialisation. He is the chairman of the medical education unit. He held several workshops and symposia about key issues in medical education.

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