Utano Public Health Chats

Fiona Gambanga
  • 5.0 (3)
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  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

A podcast where people get to learn more about public health work in Africa and how to navigate their public health careers. Each episode features an in depth interview with a public health practitioner and/or researcher from an African country and/or working in African countries in public health. Conversation is about how they ended up working in public health, what they do at a high level in their current work, what they love about their field and career path and what words of wisdom they would like to share with the audience.

  1. Episode 23-Interview with Rachael Goba

    FEB 25

    Episode 23-Interview with Rachael Goba

    In this episode we talked to Rachael Goba, a Global health leader with 15+ years of experience driving gender-transformative health systems across Africa and globally in both development and humanitarian contexts. Rachael is a Senior Technical Advisor for  Adolescent Health, she provides strategic leadership in adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR) Comprehensive sexuality education, Maternal Newborn Child Adolescent Health, Adolescent HIV progrmming, gender equity & Social Inclusion,climate-resilient health systems, and inclusive health governance. She works at the intersection of technical excellence, systems strengthening, and power-shifting approaches that elevate women- and youth-led organisations. Rachael is a graduate of the WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey 2025, where she is a global fellow, and her approach blends feminist leadership, localisation, and systems thinking to design scalable, evidence-driven solutions that strengthen health governance and improve health equity. In this episode we learnt about Rachael's career journey and what ignited her interest in public health. We discussed what her work looks like at this stage in her career and the things she enjoys most about the working in adolescent, sexual and reproductive health and rights. We ended with words of wisdom and motivating words for all those who might be interested in joining the field of public health! Rachael offers expert-led sexuality education for adolescents (10-19 years old) through her project Bridges Beyond which aims to and equip parents & caregivers with the tools to foster open, healthy conversations with their children. Conversations are age-appropriate, accurate, engaging and culturally appropriate covering topics such as puberty, responsibility, consent, relationships, and personal safety amongst many others. Bridges Beyond is also available to conduct workshops to schools, organisations, churches in relation to sexuality education. For more information they can get in touch on bridgesbeyond1@gmail.com

    53 min
  2. Episode 22 -Interview with Dr. Nicole Curti

    09/24/2025

    Episode 22 -Interview with Dr. Nicole Curti

    In this episode we hear from Dr. Nicole Curti, a Medical Doctor and Public Health Specialist with over 25 years of experience in global health and international cooperation. Dr Nicole is currently based in Rwanda, where she leads a major health program aligned with the country’s Health Sector Strategic Plan V (2024–2029), focusing on maternal, newborn, and child health, sexual and reproductive rights, gender-based violence, and health system strengthening. Her career spans Africa, Europe, South Asia, and North America, with expertise in humanitarian work, epidemic response, health security, and primary healthcare. Born in Ebolowa, Cameroon, Dr. Curti’s journey has been defined by resilience; after losing her father at 16, she financed her studies independently, earning degrees in medicine, tropical medicine and public health. She recently completed a three-year degree in Chinese Medicine and Moxibustion at the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Geneva, Switzerland. Her work integrates coordination, research, policy, and capacity-building, collaborating with governments, local authorities, development partners, and healthcare providers to ensure equitable access to quality care. Passionate about mentoring the next generation of public health leaders, she emphasizes community engagement, continuous learning, innovation, adaptability, and evidence-based interventions to drive systemic change globally. In this episode we discussed:Her background and pathway to clinical medicineand then public health Key elements that make up a public health system The different countries she has worked and the various roles and responsibilities she had  Pivotal points in her career and experiences that informed her decision Her favourite projects and what she likes about working in public health  Her advice to people starting out in public health or those earlier in her career  Key skills and traits she finds useful in the field

    59 min
  3. Episode 21-Interview with Kristine Yakhama

    03/27/2025

    Episode 21-Interview with Kristine Yakhama

    In this episode we hear from Kristine Yakhama, a certified health and development professional with expertise in public health, particularly in areas such as maternal and child health, infectious disease control, and health systems strengthening. Kristine Yakhama is the Zonal leader for Kakamega MNCH Alliance and a Volunteer Regional director at  Give them a hand Foundation Kenya. She works with Good health community programs as a budget facilitator. She has  managed and optimized financial resources for various public health programs, ensuring effective implementation. Her experience as a researcher has allowed her  to contribute to impactful studies on community health outcomes and interventions. Additionally, she serves as an external reviewer, providing valuable feedback on public health projects to improve their design and execution.

    43 min
  4. Episode 20-Interview with Dr. Achieng' Aling'

    03/05/2025

    Episode 20-Interview with Dr. Achieng' Aling'

    In this we hear from Dr. Achieng' Aling' from Kenya. Dr. Achieng' Aling' is an OB-GYN, global health expert, and health systems strategist focused on strengthening Africa’s health workforce and sexual and reproductive health. A passionate advocate for menstrual and menopause health, she’s driving policy and innovation to ensure women’s well-being at every stage of life. In this episode we talked about: Who is Dr. Achieng' Aling' and what does she do?What kind of training she did and for how long?Why she chose medicine and obstetrics and gynecology as a specialty Why and how she chose to pursue a career in global health after her clinical training Career influences growing up, and sometimes career de-influencers?Key factors and decision points in careers- who to listen to and how much?Clinical training or not before going into public health?What kind of work she does now , what she enjoys about the work and this period in her careerWhat a day in her work life look likeWork travel and what it comes with What is her favorite thing about working in Public Health and what keeps her motivated Challenges working in public health Mindset required when working in public health Benefits of working in public healthKey skills and competencies she feels are important as you embark in your public health careerWhat does public health mean to Dr. Achieng' Aling' You can follow Dr. Achieng' Aling' on Instagram and tik tok https://www.instagram.com/the_menstrual_doctor

    1h 4m

  5. 12/05/2024

    Episode 19- Interview with Dr. Nii Lante Heward-Mills

    In this episode we talk with Dr. Nii Lante Heward-Mills from Ghana. Dr. Nii Lante is the Country Director for Viamo in Liberia and Ghana. His background is in Public Health-Health Promotion and has worked extensively with Health Services and Ministries of Health in Ghana and Nigeria.  We discussed: How Nii started out his career training as an Optometrist then how he ended up choosing to specialize in Health Promotion  What motivated Nii to choose a career in Public health promotion and what experiences influenced this What does Nii do now and what does a day in his life look like? Key projects Nii has worked on , and the outcomes and the impact they have had in Ghana and beyond Nii's favorite and least favorite things about working in in digital health and ICT4D space What does Public health mean to Nii? Challenges around working in Public health and development  Acknowledgements

    44 min

  6. 11/13/2024

    Episode 18-Interview with Emmanuel Nsengiyumva

    "In this episode we talk with Mr. Emmanuel Nsengiyumva from Rwanda. Emmanuel is an experienced leader, and development professional with 10+ years working in the health and social protection sector with INGOs experience supporting governments in a wide spectrum of development issues from systems strengthening to community programming.  We discussed: Emmanuel's introduction and the journey of he started his career in public health What things were critical for Emmanuel to develop to the professional he is todayWhat does Emmanuel do now 10 years into his career?What Emmanuel enjoys most about his work nowWhy did Emmanuel choose to stay in this field?What does Public health mean to Emmanuel?Challenges around working in Public health and development Word to the wise "

    43 min

  7. 09/13/2023

    Episode 17 - Interview with Soline Mugeni

    In this episode we hear from Mrs. Soline Mugeni from Rwanda.  Mrs. Mugeni holds a BSc in Microbiology and an MSc. in Community Health.She has 10+ years experience working in the health sector with INGOs and supporting governments in multiple areas such as community health, human resources for health, health financing, and most recently immunization. She is passionate about serving communities and making an impact.

    1 hr

  8. 07/19/2023

    Episode 16-Interview with Dr. Nkechi Olalere

    Check out our conversation with Dr. Nkechi Olalere , the Special Advisor on Health Economics to the Honorable Minister of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone on her career journey.Dr. Nkechi has over 17 years’ experience in health insurance implementation, spanning private, public and development sectors. She is also passionate about digital health, sustainability of country health systems and strategic purchasing, especially provider payment reforms, several of which she led, successfully, in the private health insurance space.She recently served as the Executive Director of Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center (SPARC) and the chair of Africa Union’s Tracker sub-committee tasked with developing indicators and measures of progress for ‘More Health for the Money’.She is the chair of the Rapid Cycle Monitoring sub-group of Global Financing Facility’s Results Advisory Group.

    52 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

A podcast where people get to learn more about public health work in Africa and how to navigate their public health careers. Each episode features an in depth interview with a public health practitioner and/or researcher from an African country and/or working in African countries in public health. Conversation is about how they ended up working in public health, what they do at a high level in their current work, what they love about their field and career path and what words of wisdom they would like to share with the audience.

Information

  • Creator
    Fiona Gambanga
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Fiona Gambanga
  • Show Website
    Utano Public Health Chats