William Howlett
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William Patrick Howlett (born 16 March 1946) is an Irish general physician and neurologist whose work primarily concerns the study and treatment of neurological diseases in Africa. He is especially known for his contributions to the early diagnosis of AIDS and to the understanding of a foodborne disease called Konzo, which afflicted many Africans. In 2019 he received the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award, an award given to Irish citizens abroad who have brought honor to their nation.[1][2]
Medical career and contribution
[edit]Early education
[edit]Howlett completed his medical training between 1970 and 1975, beginning as an intern in Dublin. He then moved to the United States, where he undertook a residency in internal medicine at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, New York. Returning to Ireland, he worked as a registrar and tutor in medicine at University Hospital Galway and Mercer's Hospital, Dublin.
Work in Uganda
[edit]He first traveled to Africa in 1980 as part of the humanitarian response to the famine in Karamoja, Uganda, after completing a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine[3]. He was responsible for restoring medical services at a regional hospital in Moroto, which had been looted and left inoperative due to civil war. Within four weeks, its function was restored.[2]
Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC)
[edit]In 1983, Howlett joined the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Moshi, Tanzania, under the Ministry of Health. His work at the KCMC has spanned over four decades, interrupted only by the completion of his PhD at the University of Bergen (1995) and his neurology training at King's College London (1998). He resumed his position at the KCMC in 2006, focusing on teaching, research, and clinical practice.[4]
Research on Konzo
[edit]One of Howlett’s significant contributions to neurology is his research on konzo, a subacute tropical myelopathy caused by chronic cyanide intoxication due to the consumption of improperly processed cassava. This research formed the basis of his PhD thesis and has been instrumental in understanding the condition's etiology and clinical features.[4]
Main publications
[edit]- Neurology in Africa Neurology. 2014 Aug 12;83(7):654-5 PMID: 25114197 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000682
- Inflammatory neurologic disease in sub-Saharan Africa. Neurology 2014 Aug 12;83(7):656-8 PMID: 25114198 DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000683
- The role of LP in NDs where there is no neuroimaging. J Neurol Sci 2018 Oct 15:393:110-112. PMID: 30153570 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2018.08.005
- Neurological disorders in HIV in Africa: a review. Afr Health Sci 2019 Jun;19(2):1953-1977. PMID: 31656479 PMCID: PMC6794503 DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v19i2.19
- Rapidly progressive dementia: limitations in Africa. Pract Neurol 2022 Oct;22(5):342-343. PMID: 35314494 DOI: 10.1136/practneurol-2022-003385
Bibliography
[edit]- Elinor Bartle, "William Howlett – Humanitarian and Global Health specialist", News archive for Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, 2019.
- David Looby, "President hails Campile doctor's life-saving work in Africa", Irish Independent, 30 November 2019
- Marieke Dekker, "William Howlett", Global Health Section Newsletter, American Academy of Neurology, 2016
References
[edit]- ^ "One wall cannot support a house", After the Genocide in Rwanda, I.B. Tauris, 2019, ISBN 978-1-78831-915-7, retrieved 2025-04-13
- ^ a b Looby 2019
- ^ Bartle 2019.
- ^ a b Dekker 2016