Professor Anionwu, an Emeritus Professor of Nursing at University of West London, has the honour of being the first Sickle Cell and Thalassemia specialist in Britain, patron of the Sickle Cell Society and recipient of numerous honorary degrees, along with a Pride of Britain Lifetime Achievement Award. In her talk, she will describe the array of challenges she has faced and the hard work that has been required to ensure that Sickle Cell sufferers receive the specialist treatment they need.

She was was honoured with a Damehood (DBE) in the 2017 Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for her services to nursing and the Mary Seacole Statue Appeal. The Queen’s Nursing Institute awarded her a Fellowship (FQNI) in October 2017. In 2001 she was awarded a CBE for services to nursing. In 2004 she was presented with the Royal College of Nursing Fellowship (FRCN) for her work in the development of nurse-led sickle cell and thalassaemia counselling services and education and leadership in trans-cultural nursing. In July 2018, as part of the celebrations for the 70th Anniversary of the National Health Service, Elizabeth was included in the list of the 70 most influential nurses and midwives in the history of the NHS.