Women Who Contributed To Healthcare. In celebration of International Women's Day #GiveToGain
.png)
Progress in anything has always required sacrifice.
This International Women’s Day, Pharmarun remembers and celebrates the women who gave their time, resources, intellect, and relentless dedication to drive growth, innovation, and lasting impact in healthcare. Because they gave, millions live longer, diseases became treatable and healthcare moved forward.
Today, we honour their legacy and the future they made possible.
1. Virginia Apgar
Invented the Apgar Score, a 10-point newborn assessment test administered one and five minutes after birth. The score evaluates heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes, and skin color. It is now used in every delivery room worldwide and has dramatically reduced infant mortality.
Discovered artemisinin from the plant Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) as a treatment for malaria. The drug is now the world's most effective malaria treatment and has saved an estimated 200 million lives. She won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015.
3. Marie Curie
Discovered the radioactive elements radium and polonium, pioneering the use of radiation in medicine. Her work laid the foundation for modern cancer radiotherapy. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences (Physics and Chemistry).
4. Dr. Jane C. Wright
First identified methotrexate as an effective chemotherapy drug against solid tumors including breast cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia. She transformed chemotherapy from an experimental last resort into a proven, life-saving treatment and pioneered combination chemotherapy. Methotrexate is still one of the main chemotherapy drugs used globally today.
5. Gertrude B. Elion
Developed multiple life-saving drugs including azathioprine (immunosuppressive for organ transplants), aciclovir (antiviral for herpes), and mercaptopurine (for leukemia). Her rational drug design approach revolutionized pharmaceutical development. She won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1988.
6. Dr. Hattie Alexander
Developed the first effective treatment for influenza meningitis, a bacterial infection that was once 100% fatal in infants. Her therapy virtually eliminated infant mortality from this disease. She became one of the first women to head a national medical association when elected president of the American Pediatric Society in 1964.
,Developed the tuberculin skin test still used today to diagnose tuberculosis worldwide. She also discovered that contaminated distilled water in IV injections caused fevers and created a purification process to eliminate bacteria. Her TB test became the international standard adopted by the WHO.
Invented the modern one-handed medical syringe, revolutionizing how medicine is administered. Before her design, syringes required two hands to operate, making them imprecise and unsanitary. Her patent enabled safer, more accurate injections.
First scientist to clone HIV and map its genes, enabling the development of blood tests to detect the virus. Her work was foundational to creating antiretroviral drugs like AZT. She opened the path for modern HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention.
10. Judith Graham Pool
Discovered Factor VIII, a clotting protein in frozen blood plasma that could be used to treat hemophilia. Her method allowed hemophiliacs to treat themselves at home rather than requiring hospital visits. This discovery transformed hemophilia from a life-threatening condition to a manageable chronic disease.
Invented the laserphaco probe, a device that uses lasers to dissolve cataracts during eye surgery. She was the first Black woman physician to receive a medical patent. Her invention made cataract surgery faster, more precise, and accessible to millions worldwide.
12. Rosalind Franklin
Produced Photo 51, the X-ray crystallography image that provided the critical evidence for the double helix structure of DNA. Her data was essential to Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA structure. This image is one of the most important in the history of science.
13. Dr. Frances Kelsey
As an FDA reviewer, blocked the approval of thalidomide in the United States despite intense pharmaceutical industry pressure. Her decision prevented the mass birth defects that devastated Europe and Canada, where over 10,000 children were born with severe deformities. She saved an entire generation of American children.
14. Dr. Leila Denmark
Co-developed the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, which has saved millions of children's lives worldwide. She practiced pediatrics for 73 years, retiring at age 103. Her vaccine remains a cornerstone of childhood immunization programs globally.
15. Elizabeth Lee Hazen & Rachel Fuller Brown
Developed nystatin, the first effective anti-fungal antibiotic. The drug is used to treat fungal infections in organ transplant recipients, burn victims, chemotherapy patients, and AIDS patients. They donated all proceeds to science research grants through the Brown-Hazen Fund.
16. Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt
Chief Kofoworola Abeni Pratt was a trailblazing Nigerian nurse, the first Black nurse in the United Kingdom's National Health Service, and a pioneer of Nigerian nursing. She served as the first Nigerian Chief Nursing Officer for the Federal Ministry of Health and was later appointed Commissioner for Health in Lagos State during the 1970s. She built Nigeria's entire nursing profession from the ground up after independence, founding nursing schools and the Professional Association of Trained Nurses of Nigeria. She received the Florence Nightingale Medal in 1973, the highest honour in global nursing.
Pioneered local pharmaceutical manufacturing in Nigeria by launching Emzor's medicine production, beginning with Emzor Paracetamol. Today, Emzor produces over 140 medicines with a 25% market share of analgesics in Nigeria, distributed across West Africa. She is the only pharmacist ever awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons.
18. Prof. Adenike Grange
As Nigeria's first female Minister of Health, initiated the seed funding proposal that created the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The NCDC now manages every disease outbreak in Nigeria, including COVID-19, Lassa fever, and Ebola responses. She is a pediatric professor with over 80 peer-reviewed publications and served as WHO Adviser on Reproductive Health.
19. Prof. Olufunmilayo Olopade
Founded the Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics at the University of Chicago and proved that women of African descent develop breast cancer younger and more aggressively than other populations. Her discovery changed global screening protocols and treatment approaches. She won the MacArthur "Genius Grant" in 2005 and is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences.
20. Teniola Tunde-Oni & Funmilola Aderemi
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Teniola began personally coordinating medication deliveries for neighbours who could no longer reach pharmacies and realised the problem persisted beyond the lockdowns. Together with Funmilola, she co-founded Pharmarun, a platform that enables fast and easy access to medication. Today, Pharmarun has partnered with over 1,000 pharmacies across all 36 Nigerian states, has served over 115,000 Nigerians, and partners with major health insurers such as Leadway, Axa Mansard, and Wellness communities.
Pharmarun bridges the gap between patients, pharmacies, and health insurers, making medication access seamless and reliable. Their work has been recognised with joint awards, including the Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award (2025), while individually they’ve received accolades for innovation and leadership in healthcare and digital health.
In celebrating these women, we are reminded that healthcare advances because someone chooses to give their time, brilliance, courage, and years. As we mark International Women’s Day, we do more than remember them; we carry their legacy forward.
Happy International Women's Day!
Lastest bants
Stories, facts and bants on this journey to ensuring access to medication for Africa
Download Pharmarun today!
Get started with us today by using our delivery service. Also, be one of the first to experience our unique healthcare platform.
