The African Well Women's Clinic, established by Comfort Momoh at St Thomas's Hospital in 1997, provided specialized care for women affected by female genital mutilation. Through this facility, Momoh developed a clinical focus on the health consequences of FGM, performing approximately two defibulation operations per week by 2013 while managing the care of roughly 300 patients annually.
Early Education and Career Development
Born in Lagos in 1962, Momoh relocated to the United Kingdom in 1981. She began nursing training at North Middlesex Hospital, where she first encountered clinical cases of FGM. She later pursued advanced studies at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery at King's College London, earning a BSc in women's healthcare in 2002. Throughout her career, she received several scholarships, including a 2007 Florence Nightingale Foundation grant for research in Africa and a 2015 scholarship to observe United States clinical approaches.
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Momoh served as a temporary adviser to the World Health Organization in 1999 and represented the United Kingdom at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2001. She later became a member of the British FGM national clinical group in 2007, a body tasked with training health professionals to identify and address the practice. From 2007 until her retirement in 2017, she worked as a public-health specialist at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
Professional Honors and Public Scrutiny
In the 2008 New Year Honours, Momoh was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to women's healthcare. She received an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University in 2008, a GAB award in 2011, and was named Alumna of the Year by King's College London in 2015. In 2017, BBC Newsnight broadcast an investigation into her examination procedures regarding children, citing judicial criticism from a 2014 court case and concerns regarding her use of the title Dr. Momoh maintained that her clinical conduct was appropriate.
Fast facts
- Born: 1962, Lagos
- Citizenship: United Kingdom
- Education: King's College London
- Primary Specialization: Female Genital Mutilation
- Clinical Appointment: Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (2007-2017)
- Professional Honor: Member of the Order of the British Empire (2008)
Questions readers ask
What was the African Well Women's Clinic?
Established by Momoh in 1997 at St Thomas's Hospital, the clinic focused on the care and treatment of women who had undergone FGM.
Did Comfort Momoh hold a medical doctorate?
No, her doctorate from Middlesex University is an honorary degree.
Achievements
- Member of the Order of the British Empire
- Held posts at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
