Chidiebere Ibe, an aspiring neurosurgeon from Nigeria and avid illustrator, has sparked major conversation across the Internet for making (what is known to be) the first medical diagrams with Black and P.O.C. skin tones.
As a medical student currently studying in the Ukraine, Ibe recognized the lack of Black and P.O.C. representation in textbooks and medical workups. Inspired to make a difference, Ibe has shared his dedicated passion for inclusive medical illustrations on his Instagram and Twitter pages over the course of the last two years.
According to CTV News, “He says disproportionate negative health outcomes for Black and other patients of colour, racism towards medical professionals and patients, and unequal access to affordable health care are all systemic problems which need immediate fixing across the world.”
Ibe has received an overwhelming amount of support and love from people across the world. Many shared that they did not realize that there was a lack of representation in medical diagrams to begin with. It was only until after Ibe’s illustrations came to the forefront that this realization had come to light.
He hopes this will inspire change in schools and clinics from across the world to include diagrams of Black and P.O.C. models.