Millions of women across the globe, particularly in Africa, face significant barriers to accessing economic opportunities and essential healthcare services. These challenges are not merely systemic—they are deeply personal for many, shaping lives, limiting potential, and influencing the futures of entire communities.
For me, these challenges represent not just professional issues to address but a personal mission to champion. My journey into healthcare transformation began as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Nigeria, and it has grown into a purposeful endeavor to empower women, optimize healthcare systems, and create solutions that leave a lasting impact.
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was working as an intern in Nigeria when I faced a pivotal moment. I was directed to reuse gloves while drawing blood from patients—an unsafe and unacceptable practice I refused to follow. This incident exposed the inefficiencies and inequities in healthcare resource allocation, sparking a desire to understand the root causes of these challenges and explore ways to transform such systems.
At that moment, I felt powerless, but the experience planted a seed. Years later, that seed has grown into a focused mission to address inefficiencies in healthcare and advocate for structural changes that benefit marginalized populations.
The work I do is shaped by deeply held values that provide clarity and purpose:
- Impact: A commitment to leave people, communities, and systems better than they were found.
- Empowerment: Equipping women with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive.
- Excellence: Striving for the highest standards in every endeavor.
- Faith: Trusting in God’s purpose and aligning efforts with a higher calling.
- Resilience: Rising above challenges and viewing setbacks as opportunities for growth.
These values form the foundation of every project, initiative, and solution I pursue.
Healthcare transformation became deeply personal during my mother’s health journey. Shortly after her 50th birthday, she began experiencing unexplained health issues. Despite numerous doctor visits and treatments, no one could identify the cause. The family watched helplessly as her condition worsened over two years.
In desperation, she decided to simplify her regimen, taking only multivitamins, water, and rest. To our surprise, she began to recover. Today, she is thriving, preparing to celebrate her 65th birthday.
Looking back, it became clear that she had been experiencing the effects of menopause, a natural transition that had gone entirely unrecognized by her healthcare providers. Despite my background in physiology and anatomy, I realized how little focus menopause receives in education, healthcare, or public discourse.
This gap is not unique to my family’s experience. Globally, menopause remains one of the most neglected areas in public health, even in developed countries like the United States. Research shows that while up to 75% of menopausal women experience debilitating symptoms, only 20% feel adequately informed or supported.
During my Master’s program in Development Engineering at UC Berkeley, I focused my capstone project on bridging this healthcare gap. Under the supervision of Dr. Anke Hemmerling, I conducted a policy review of menopause care in the United States, identifying key gaps and proposing actionable solutions to improve support for women during this natural but complex transition.
The findings underscored the urgent need for systemic changes. Menopause is more than a biological phase—it is a critical factor affecting women’s health, workforce participation, and quality of life. Addressing this issue requires not only better education and healthcare resources but also a cultural shift to destigmatize conversations around women’s health.
As I look to the future, my focus remains on creating scalable, tech-enabled solutions that address healthcare gaps in low-resource settings. Whether optimizing maternal healthcare systems, improving resource allocation, or raising awareness about menopause, my goal is to design solutions that are both impactful and sustainable.
Empowered women create empowered communities. When women have access to healthcare and economic opportunities, they can thrive, support their families, and contribute to the development of society.
The journey toward healthcare transformation is deeply interconnected with equity, resilience, and empowerment. By addressing the barriers that hold women back, we can unlock their potential and create a future where they flourish at every stage of life.
