What inspired you to work in health in Africa?
I did not initially choose public health because it was a passion of mine. My inspiration came in 2003 when I was working on an HIV research project in Zambia.
During a couples’ HIV voluntary counselling and testing, campaign at one particular location, 100% of the couples tested were HIV positive. As a laboratory professional, I was used to focusing on the test and the result, but seeing those results made me think differently. I began to think about the people behind the numbers, their families, their futures, and what could have been done to prevent those infections. With this in mind, I found myself wanting to do more than diagnose disease in the laboratory. I wanted to understand the factors driving the epidemic and contribute to prevention, treatment, and better access to health services.”
What is one success you’re proud of?
One achievement I am particularly proud of was during my time as a Technical Advisor on an HIV prevention and laboratory systems strengthening project. When I joined the project, the impact of our work was not being systematically measured. I saw an opportunity to change that, so I developed systems and tools to track and measure the results of our interventions.
The numbers became a powerful way of showing whether our work was actually making a difference. Seeing over 90% of our target beneficiaries accessing HIV prevention and care services was a huge milestone for me. It was not just a number. It represented people who had been reached, connected to services, and given an opportunity to protect their health.
What made the achievement especially meaningful was being able to look at those results and know that I had helped make them possible. That feeling of translating data into measurable impact remains one of the achievements I am most proud of.
What’s the hardest part of your work as a woman in health leadership? How are you tackling it?
One of the hardest parts of being a woman in health leadership has been having to prove, sometimes repeatedly, that I am capable of doing the work and leading effectively. I have experienced situations where men were given preference or better conditions, and I have also supervised men who initially struggled to accept a woman in a leadership position.Those experiences were not always easy, but they taught me an important lesson about leadership. I realised that I did not need to respond to resistance with confrontation or constantly defend my position. Instead, I chose to let the quality of my work, my knowledge, and the results of the team speak for me. I focused on engaging people, listening to their perspectives, building trust, and creating a strong sense of teamwork. Over time, I found that when people felt respected and included, gender became less important than the shared goal we were working towards. These experiences have made me a more confident and inclusive leader. They have also strengthened my belief that women should not have to be perfect to earn leadership opportunities. We should be given the same opportunity to lead, contribute, and succeed.
What change do you want to see in the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, I would particularly like to see greater investment in prevention, early diagnosis, community-based services, and health systems that use data to identify gaps and improve outcomes. I have seen how much can change when we move beyond simply delivering services and start measuring whether those services are actually reaching the people who need them.
I also want to see more women given meaningful opportunities to lead in health. Women bring valuable perspectives and leadership to the sector, and I believe we should be supported not only to participate, but to influence decisions and shape health programs.
Ultimately, I want to contribute to a health system where people are reached earlier, treated with dignity, and given a genuine opportunity to live healthier lives regardless of where they live or their circumstances.
What advice do you have for women chasing their dreams working in health?
My advice to women pursuing their dreams in health is: believe in your ability, even when others do not see it yet. There will be times when you have to work harder to prove yourself, when your ideas are overlooked, or when you find yourself in spaces where you are the only woman at the table. Do not allow those experiences to make you question your worth or your ability to lead. Keep learning, do your work well, build relationships, and let your results speak for you. At the same time, do not be afraid to use your voice. You do not have to become someone else to succeed.