Denning Okafor

Result-driven Public Health Sanitarian with 2 years of experience in environmental health, vector control, and infectious disease surveillance across Nigeria. Proven knowledge and expertise in managing community-based health interventions, enforcing WASH standards, and integrating One Health initiatives and principles into disease and outbreak response. Adept at coordinating with relevant stakeholders, government ministries and ECOWAS frameworks to strengthen pandemic and emergency preparedness to mitigate contagious diseases.

HSE OFFICER - Nelani Wellness Pharmacy and Stores Limited - Abuja, Nigeria

(2026-04)

• Food Safety Compliance: Conduct daily inspections of supermarket counters and bakeries, and produce sections to ensure proper food handling and storage temperature.
• Pest and Waste Management: Manage and design an integrated pest management (IPM), routinely checking for pests that may compromise food safety and also ensure waste disposal and sewage systems are properly maintained.
• Infection Control: Monitors hygiene practices in the pharmacy department to protect staff and patients from transmissible diseases
• Health Screening and Education: Collaborate with pharmacists to offer preventive services like immunisation, carry out First Aid, CPR and health screening to the public.
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintains comprehensive and accurate inspection records and prepares a technical report to verify regulatory compliance

Environmental Health Intern - Owerri Capital Development Authority - Owerri, Imo State

(2023-04 - 2023-09)

• Data Collection and Surveillance: Led 5 team of public health interns to gather data on the outbreak of cholera in Amakaohia, Owerri utilizing standardised questionnaire, checklist and microsoft excel to record our database.
• Public Education and Outreach: Assisted in the design of brochures and other health-related materials that teach the public, business owners about proper hygiene, food safety and disease prevention within Owerri municipality.
• Report Writing: Assisted in the documentation of inspection findings, photographic evidence and follow-up.
• Special Project Support: Collaborated with other health professionals on targeted initiatives on health screening, vector control and waste management such as owerri-west LGA malaria eradication and sanitation program.

Volunteer Environmental Health Coordinator - Etiti Health Center - Ihitte Uboma, Imo state, Nigeria

(2024-10 - 2025-04)

• Outreach: Designed and implemented 8 educational workshops on disease prevention and environmental hazard for families in rural areas and underserved neighbourhoods
• Awareness and Advocacy: Conducted campaigns on community-based initiatives program on malaria and sanitation.
• Conducted environmental screening survey for patients with chronic respiratory diseases, reducing risk factors in 75% of reported cases.

Public Health Intern - General Hospital, Ibusa - Oshimili North, Delta State, Nigeria

(2025-05 - 2026-02)

• Led the development and implementation of Standardised hospital screening protocols for priority zoonotic diseases such as (Lassa fever, Rabies) optimizing early detection pathways and reducing potential clinical exposure risks to the general public which improve data sharing between the hospital's clinical laboratory, environmental health officers and local veterinary/agricultural departments.
• Conducted a facility-wide audit of indoor air quality, water, and surface hygiene within the hospital, and discovered how the hospital's built environment such as (ventilation systems, plumbing) can cause environmental pathogens that threaten both immunocompromised humans and staff.
• Documentation: Managed patient registration and data entry, decreasing wait times by 10 minutes per patient.

Bachelor of Science - Public Health (Environmental Health Science) - Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) (2018-10 - 2024-04)