By Dr. Fazal Ghani
It is announced with great sadness that; Dr Sunday (Sonny) Prince Akpabio, DS, MDS (London) has recently died peacefully at the age of 90, after a long illness. He will be remembered with love by Thelma, Basi and Rachel. A funeral for Dr Akpabio was held at the Church of St John the Baptist, Stone, Buckinghamshire, England (UK). I am fortunate to have been associated with him during my postgraduate studies in UCH Dental School, which he was visiting quite often those days.
Sonny Akpabio graduated from University College London, University of London in 1956. He was awarded the Gibbs Travelling Scholarship, in 1964, to undertake a three-month epidemiological study in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana. In 1970 he gained an MDS (London) degree. In 1982, he was appointed WHO Consultant and Member of the WHO Expert Panel on Oral Health. In 1991, Sonny Akpabio, with others, formed the Commonwealth Dental Association and was elected its Founder President. In 1996 he was awarded the OBE by Her Majesty, The Queen, for services rendered to medicine and dentistry internationally. In 1999, he was awarded the Roll of Distinction of the British Dental Association for outstanding services to UK Dentistry; in this year, he was also appointed as Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Oral Health at the University of London. He served previously as the CDA Executive Secretary (1994-2003) following his term as Founder President (1991-1994).
