In this compelling interview, Dr. Kenneth Ozoilo, a surgeon from Nigeria who works with Mobile Surgical Team and Professor of surgery, shares his journey from a local responder in Jos to leading life-saving missions in conflict zones in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Drawing on powerful personal experiences, in South Sudan and the resilience of displaced medical workers in Gaza and Lebanon, Dr. Ozoilo reflects on the vital role of neutrality, sustainability, and cultural sensitivity in humanitarian healthcare.
Question: Your journey with the International Committee of the Red Cross began as a local responder during a mass casualty response in Nigeria. Can you tell us more why you decided to join the International Committee of the Red Cross in 2017?
Dr. Kenneth Ozoilo: My first encounter with was in 2011, when a Mobile Surgical Team was deployed to Jos, in central Nigeria, in response to the violent crisis that had engulfed the city. At that time, I was Head of the Accident and Emergency Unit at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, and the ICRC¡¯s support was immensely helpful and timely.
Because I had benefited from its surgical response and witnessed firsthand the life-saving impact it had on the hospital and patients during a time of great need, I chose to join the ICRC. I wanted to be able to extend that same kind of assistance to other communities facing similar challenges.
While working with the team, we assessed the trauma care needs in my hospital and quickly realized there was a big gap in skills and knowledge ¡ª especially when it came to handling weapon-related injuries. That really showed me how urgently training was needed.
At that time, I started volunteering with the International Committee of the Red Cross, helping to run trauma training courses like the Emergency Room Trauma Course and War Surgery Seminars. From then on, we held a lot of trainings for doctors and nurses working in emergency response in hospitals across Nigeria, and I also supported the ICRC¡¯s surgical project at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri.
In 2017, I undertook my first international mission at Juba Military Hospital, in South Sudan. Since then, I have been regularly engaged in ICRC surgical missions and training activities around the world.
Question: You've provided medical care to civilians in conflict zones across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Can you share a particular experience from the field that deeply impacted you?
Dr. Kenneth Ozoilo: One of the most lasting experiences for me was in a very remote community in Akobo, South Sudan. Although there was no active fighting in the area at that time, the community remained profoundly affected by the long-running conflict in the country. As there were no doctors or trained health personnel available in the town, the International Committee¡¯s project on providing medical care to individuals injured by weapons at the Akobo County Hospital, which was the main source of healthcare for the population.
On the day I was scheduled to leave at the end of my mission, a woman was brought in with obstructed labour, requiring an urgent caesarean section. Her arrival coincided with the arrival of the helicopter that had come to take me out of there. After a quick discussion, it was agreed to delay the flight so that my team and I could perform the emergency procedure. We were able to deliver a healthy baby girl and save the mother¡¯s life. Had she arrived only minutes later, the helicopter would have departed, and the outcome for both mother and child could have been tragic. Several years later, when I returned for another mission, I was surprised that the community continued to talk about that incident, it clearly meant a lot to them.
That experience served as a powerful reminder that the effects of armed conflict go far beyond weapon wounds. Entire communities suffer deprivation in every aspect of life, including access to the most basic healthcare. In Akobo, the ICRC was filling that gap, and the community was deeply grateful. For me, it was a moment that reinforced both the importance of our presence and the human impact of humanitarian work.
I have also witnessed very strong displays of resilience in Gaza and Beirut, Lebanon. In Gaza, many of our local health worker colleagues have been displaced within the country. Many of them have only pictures as memories of the homes they used to live in. They now live under the harsh conditions of tents in camps for internally displaced persons. Yet, they still find the strength to work each day helping the injured at the Red Cross Field Hospital in Gaza. Many must walk several hours to get to and from (home) camp, because of the lack of public transport.
Last year in Beirut, a nurse was treating victims at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital - supported by ICRC- when her own home was hit during the hostilities, leaving her family homeless. Yet despite such hardship, she and others continue showing up daily to care for those in even greater need, supporting a shattered health system.
Question: As someone who has seen the devastating consequences of war firsthand, how do you reflect on the role of medical neutrality and humanitarian response in promoting peace and security? How do you embed these values in your teaching as a Professor of Surgery in Nigeria?
Dr. Kenneth Ozoilo: Neutrality is one of the core principles of the International Committee of the Red Cross. It is not indifference, as some may think, but rather a very powerful tool in humanitarian action. In conflict situations, the temptation often exists to take one side or the other, but it is neutrality that enables humanitarian workers to achieve meaningful impact. It grants us access to difficult and hard-to-reach areas because all parties know they have equal access to our services if needed. It is also a major factor in ensuring our safety, as all actors recognize that we are not part of the conflict.
Nigeria has endured its share of conflict, and within such contexts there is often pressure on individuals, including health workers, to align with one side or the other. As a professor, I deliberately teach my students and trainees that the ethical duty of a health professional is to provide care based solely on need, not affiliation. Upholding neutrality not only preserves the integrity of medical practice, but also enhances access to affected populations and strengthens the protection of health workers.
I have experienced this personally. As a Nigerian, there were areas of my country where I could not have safely gone to provide expertise as I would have been perceived as aligned with one side. But under ICRC neutrality, I was able to reach those communities and deliver much-needed care, especially training. I consistently emphasize to my students that neutrality is both a safeguard and an enabler of humanitarian action.
Question: Beyond surgery, you've been involved in mentoring and strengthening health systems in crisis settings. Why is this so critical in conflict zones?
Dr. Kenneth Ozoilo: One of the most painful experiences in trauma care is to see communities return to the same fragile state once an intervention ends, as though we had never been there. This is why sustainability must be built into every humanitarian health program if we are to achieve a lasting impact.
In conflict zones, healthcare is often one of the earliest casualties. Facilities and systems are frequently damaged or destroyed. This leaves very few hospitals or personnel behind to care for large populations under extreme conditions. Strengthening their skills through training and capacity building is therefore essential¡ªnot only to ensure that immediate needs are met, but also to secure the long-term health of the community. Without this investment, communities risk slipping back into conditions that are as bad as, or worse than, those that existed before the intervention.
For this reason, I have always given as much attention to teaching and mentoring as I have to clinical work. Building local capacity ensures that when humanitarian teams eventually leave, the community retains the knowledge, skills, and resilience to continue providing care. That is the true measure of impact.
Question: In your experience, how do armed conflicts affect civilian populations in ways that the world might not fully understand or see from the outside?
Dr. Kenneth Ozoilo: From the outside, it is easy to assume that, as experts, we already know the needs of populations affected by conflict. The tendency is then to design interventions based solely on our own perceptions. However, even amidst systemic collapse, communities retain their sense of identity, culture, priorities, and internal organization.
Any external intervention must be sensitive to these social norms and values. If not, we risk creating unnecessary tensions with the very people we are trying to help. Simply copying and pasting external standards rarely works; instead, interventions must be adapted and contextualized in a way that respects the priorities of the host community.
For this reason, it is essential to invest effort in understanding the social circumstances, nuances, and values of affected populations. Only then can humanitarian programs gain acceptance, build trust, and have a meaningful and lasting impact.