Growing up, I have always been ardent about communities and health, and my acquaintances know me as a people person. My professional journey began as a District Nutritionist under Gweru District Hospital in Zimbabwe. In 2015–2016, during one of the severe El Niño–induced droughts, rates of infant malnutrition surged to unprecedented levels, especially among infants of mothers living with HIV, especially in rural areas where people depend on rain-fed farming. In response, the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) intensified the roll-out of two critical programs, that is, the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) and the Community Infant and Young Child Feeding (CIYCF) initiatives under the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) outreach activities. I worked with a dedicated MoHCC team to implement these programs across 21 outpatient (OPT) sites in Gweru District. CIYCF aimed to strengthen exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices by educating nursing mothers on its importance, training HIV-positive mothers on safe expression and heat treatment of breastmilk, and enforcing the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (ICMBMS) to minimize mixed feeding risks. CMAM focused on reducing malnutrition in women and children, eradicating extreme hunger, and promoting healthy communities through Dietary Diversification Strategies (DDS), including the promotion of nutrition-sensitive agriculture and “farming as a family business.”
During focus group discussions with nursing mothers on integrating HIV management training into the CIYCF program, I encountered a striking challenge, as many mothers feared transmitting HIV through breastfeeding. Among the 50 participants enrolled across all sites, 35 stated that this fear disrupted their ability to breastfeed exclusively; 20 adopted mixed feeding practices, while 15 refrained from breastfeeding altogether. In these moments, I found myself drawing heavily on my undergraduate training in infectious diseases, pathophysiology, public health, and anatomy and physiology. Nutrition has always transcended food and food preparation, intersecting with disease, science behind drug and nutrient or nutrient and nutrient interaction, human behavior, stigma, policy, and systemic inequities. Despite global recognition of nutrition as a key determinant of health, I observed that pressing issues such as violence, human rights, health disparities, environmental safety, and substance use continued to receive inadequate attention, despite their profound public health implications. I wanted to look beyond nutrition and beyond Zimbabwe. The quest to find solutions to a complex and multifaceted global health environment became the underlying driver for my graduate academic endeavor that would equip me to understand and address the evolving landscape of public health problems. My time with the MoHCC strengthened a core belief that improving health outcomes is not solely dependent on individual choices but on responsive, equitable, and effective health systems. As a Nutritionist, I held the responsibility of guiding HIV-positive nursing mothers on how to nourish their infants safely through EBF while preventing transmission. This experience firmly established my commitment to public health as a field that integrates science, systems thinking, community insight, and compassionate service.
In my undergraduate public health courses at Midlands State University, Zimbabwe, I learned how socioeconomic and environmental determinants drive a growing global need for well-trained public health professionals. Observing how many countries were falling behind on their Sustainable Development Goals due to persistent public health obstacles, I came to appreciate the critical role of organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the United Nations (UN). I envisioned myself as part of this global effort, translating research evidence into real-world application, addressing contemporary public health challenges at their roots, and shaping practice and policies that are collaborative, sustainable, efficient, and equitable. Pursuing a Master of Public Health in Global Health at Thammasat University in Thailand, which I completed in August 2021, was a major step toward this vision. The program’s strong emphasis on global perspectives, prevention, health promotion, and health system design broadened my understanding of public health beyond national borders. Relocating to Asia enriched my worldview and exposed me to diverse health systems and cultural contexts, making the experience both formative and transformative. It was this chapter of my life that solidified my decision to pursue a Doctor of Public Health beginning in 2023 at the University at Albany, College of Integrated Health Sciences (CIHS). A decision that I do not regret. CIHS exemplifies the ethos of what is too often left unsaid: that public health is dynamic, urgent, and deeply collective. It is more than a degree-granting institution. It was built through direct partnership with the New York State Department of Health and rooted in the principle that education must respond to real-world public health challenges. Our training is not abstract; it is grounded in responsiveness, relevance, and impact. We are being prepared for the workforce and frontlines of societal transformation.
