Nigerian Advocate Ayotunde Omitogun First African to Receive PHA’s Top Leadership Award

Ayotunde Omitogun was honored with the Rino Aldrighetti Leadership Award at the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s 2026 International Conference in Dallas. She is the first African recipient of this top recognition for outstanding leadership in advancing a world without pulmonary hypertension. After her own diagnosis in 2013, Omitogun founded Nigeria’s first patient-led Cardiac Community Advocacy and Support Initiative. Her work includes a drug aid program for low-income patients, national awareness campaigns like “Walk4PH” in Lagos, and global advocacy for better diagnostics, clinical trials, and affordable treatments across Africa. Through her volunteer leadership, she has amplified the voices of pulmonary hypertension patients and families. Her achievements have transformed support networks and raised visibility for this often-misdiagnosed condition in Nigeria and beyond.

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