Remembering Henriatta
With great sadness, we announce the untimely passing of our beloved Nigeria office team member Henriatta Selle Tiri Kamji. Affectionately called “H. Tiri” by all who knew her, she was a humane, loving colleague who demonstrated a profound dedication to her work and earned the respect and admiration of many. Henriatta is survived by her husband Kamji Gabriel, two daughters, Tehila (7 years) and Nima (2 years), her parents, and four siblings. She will be sorely missed by all.
Henriatta joined the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s Nigeria team in 2007, starting as an assistant research study coordinator. Her tenure with UMB was marked by continuous growth and increasing responsibility. With only a brief hiatus to start her family and pursue a Master of Science in Medical Microbiology, she was instrumental to the success of numerous global health projects.
Henriatta coordinated research ethics and regulatory activities for the 2018 National HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey (NAIIS), the largest HIV-specific survey ever conducted. She was also the program lead for the Nigeria ECHO Program, a tele-mentoring initiative from Project ECHO at the University of New Mexico. Under Henriatta’s leadership, the ECHO project reached more than 350 HIV service delivery facilities across Nigeria, having grown quickly from an initial 14 pilot facilities. Just this year, Henriatta was appointed to the West Africa Regional ECHO program (WARE), a multinational tele-mentoring project aimed at equipping healthcare workers across East Africa in responding to increasing COVID-19 demands. She was also promoted to the position of lead for ECHO and regulatory ethics and was excited about her new role and the difference she could make for people seeking care in remote locations.
Henriatta was due to graduate from UMB with her Master of Science in Health Sciences with a concentration in Implementation Science and Dissemination this May, for which she received a competitive full scholarship from the Graduate School.
In her spare time, Henriatta loved listening to gospel music and sermons and was a devoted member of the Church of Christ in Nigeria; she had been recently appointed secretary of the building committee. She adored her daughters and loved spending time with family and friends when she could before COVID-19. She especially loved to organize surprise parties for her friends.
Please keep Henriatta and her family in your thoughts and prayers during this especially difficult time. Thank you for your support and consideration.