Honouring Dr Anne Deborah Atai Omoruto: Pioneer of Family Medicine in Africa
One of Dr Omoruto’s most significant accomplishments was the founding of the Association of Family Physicians of Uganda, where she served as the first President. Under her guidance, this new organisation became a member of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA), signalling a strong commitment to global collaboration. Alongside her leadership roles, she headed the Family Medicine Department at Makerere University from 2004 to 2011, shaping generations of new doctors through her pioneering family medicine program.
Her influence extended internationally through her service as an executive member of the WONCA Working Party on Women and Family Medicine (WWPWFM). In this role, she advocated for policy changes that would break down barriers for women physicians. Colleagues described Dr Omoruto as an inspiring mentor whose passion for family medicine was matched only by her commitment to advancing women’s health and leadership.
Unwavering Commitment During the Ebola Crisis
Atai’s courage shone vividly during the Ebola crisis in West Africa. In 2014, she led a 12-member Ugandan medical unit to Liberia, responding to a desperate call from the World Health Organization. Many frontline health workers lost their lives in the outbreak, but Dr Omoruto pressed on, spending six months in the region to stabilise care, train local staff, and help contain the epidemic. Leaders in Liberia spoke of her relentless efforts to secure resources, highlighting her tireless ability to demand better conditions and safer protocols for those at the frontline.
In recognition of her extraordinary service—both to her own country and to vulnerable communities around the world—she received the 2016 Global Five Star Doctor Award from WONCA. The then-president of WONCA, Dr Michael Kidd, noted that Dr Omoruto demonstrated “the extraordinary contributions that family doctors can make,” praising her as one of his personal heroes of family medicine.
Atai passed away in May 2016, leaving behind a legacy of leadership, compassion, and principled advocacy. Her life’s work continued to inspire colleagues, students, and patients long after her untimely death.
The Dr Atai Anne Deborah Omoruto Scholarship Award
In tribute to Atai’s remarkable contributions, the Atai Omoruto Scholarship Award was established. This bursary honours her memory by supporting African women family physicians and family medicine residents who face economic barriers to attending WONCA biennial conference. The scholarship encourages physicians in early career stages to pursue opportunities for professional growth, share best practices, and bring newly acquired knowledge back to their communities. The fund will cover expenses related to participation in the in the WONCA World Conference, which this year takes place in Lisbon, Portugal from 17-21 September 2025.
The candidate for the Atai Omoruto Award should be an African woman family physician or family medicine resident in Africa, who demonstrates significant contributions in Africa, in any of the following:
• Leadership in Family Medicine at institutional, local, or national levels
• Commitment to the Advancement of Women in family medicine
• Clinical Courage and Selflessness in treating the most vulnerable populations
Recipients embody Atai’s spirit of fearless advocacy, intellectual rigour, and compassion, ensuring her mission endures.
Previous Award Recipient and Lasting Impact
The scholarship enabled Dr Kumwenda to attend a WONCA conference, where she presented a case highlighting the complexities of providing care in linguistically diverse regions. She benefited from opportunities to learn innovative strategies, network with specialists, and build lasting collaborations. In her words, better training and stronger professional connections made a tangible difference in her ability to serve her patients. Her story reflects the award’s power to transform clinical practice, broaden horizons, and inspire others to continue Dr Omoruto’s legacy of service.
Why Donations Make a Difference
1. Advancing Women’s Leadership: Atai tirelessly championed women’s rights in medicine. Contributions strengthen the ability of women doctors in Africa to lead, innovate, and break new ground in family medicine.
2. Strengthening Family Medicine in Africa: By expanding access to international conferences, the scholarship fuels the exchange of ideas that improves primary care. Beneficiaries return home better equipped to serve their communities.
3. Honouring Atai’s Legacy: This award continues the work Atai began. Donations preserve her memory by fostering the kind of dedicated, courageous professionals she epitomised.
How to Donate
The Donorbox platform, managed by WONCA, ensures transparent allocation of funds, with the purpose of supporting award recipients.
Continuing an Extraordinary Legacy
Dr Atai Anne Deborah Omoruto’s story—her foundational role in family medicine at Makerere University, her presidency of the Association of Family Physicians of Uganda, her service on the WWPWFM executive, and her heroism during the Ebola crisis—serves as an enduring testament to the heights that compassionate, principled doctors can reach. Her life reminds the global community that family physicians are not only caregivers and teachers but also community leaders, advocates, and agents of social change.
Contributions to the Atai Omoruto Scholarship Award bring more African women doctors to the forefront of international family medicine. Through support for conference attendance, professional development, and international collaboration, these physicians return home equipped to champion equitable and high-quality healthcare in the spirit of Atai’s remarkable achievements.
“Atai has shown us all the extraordinary contributions that family doctors can make … She is one of my personal all-time heroes of family medicine.”
—Dr Michael Kidd, Past-President of WONCA
Join this tribute and help carry forward Atai’s vision of a stronger, more inclusive future for family medicine in Africa.