Dame Elizabeth Anionwu is a British nurse and professor whose pioneering work transformed care for patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia. Anionwu was inspired to become a nurse by a nursing nun who cared for her as a child. During her education, she traveled to the United States to study counseling for sickle-cell and thalassemia, as this was not available in the UK. In 1979, she created the first nurse-led UK sickle-cell and thalassemia screening and counseling center in London Borough of Brent, the first of over 30 centers in the UK. She went on to co-found the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice, promoting inclusive education and better support for minority ethnic patients and healthcare workers. A lifelong advocate for racial equity in healthcare, Anionwu has received numerous honors, including being named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Anionwu is also an emeritus professor of Nursing at the University of West London.
