Agnes Yewande Savage

Agnes Yewande Savage (21 February 1906 – 7 September 1964) was a Nigerian medical doctor and the first West African woman to train and qualify in orthodox medicine.

Agnes Savage

Quotes

The British colonial administration in West Africa in the first half of the 20th century operated an explicitly racist employment policy, including in its medical service

• No African medical professional could reach a position of authority over white colleagues.
• At the same time, medical training had only recently become accessible to women in the UK, and was non-existent within Ghana, or the Gold Coast as it was known until independence.
• So it is remarkable that under these circumstances three West African women qualified as doctors and showed by their example the crucial role of women in advancing maternal and child health.
  • [1]