Rural Health

In celebration of the International Day of Rural Women, Adekemi Adeniyan ’19 called for increased representation of rural women in leadership, emphasizing they are experts in their own right and can offer solutions for their communities.

Muhammad Saddiq Ahmad ’21, founder of Rural Health Mission, led the development of a solar-powered water supply system for the Kabri-Chana Community in Nigeria, ensuring residents' access to clean water. The project's sustainability depends on the local community's involvement in operating and maintaining the facilities.

As Head of Business Planning and Development at Shalamar Institute of Health Sciences, Bilal Asim '20 successfully launched a structured program to enhance the vision of schoolchildren in a village outside Lahore. In another rural area, he organized a medical camp that provided healthcare to over 150 patients in need.

One of the many ways Adrian Billings ’19 is helping improve access to healthcare in rural West Texas is through a new telehealth and drone delivery system supported by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Drones deliver essential medications, equipment, and search and rescue aid, providing life-saving solutions like rapid delivery of anti-venom for snake bites and greatly improving emergency response times.

Muhammad Saddiq Ahmad ’21 and Adrian Billings ’19 used their experience in the United States and Nigeria to propose solutions for the global maternal rural health crisis. They advocate for increasing community and government support, investing in satellite clinics, training rural healthcare providers, and strengthening the women’s health workforce through local midwives, community health workers and doulas.

Rosemary Nakame ’20 founded the Responsive Mental Health Sustainability Initiative (REMI) to address health inequities and give a voice to rural health workers in Uganda, who are often overlooked in policy decisions. Her organization also highlights the stories of these women, many of whom are struggling with poverty. She advocates for better working conditions, career growth opportunities, and mental health support for these health workers.

To bridge the gap between the global conversation on climate change and the voices of those in rural communities, Monalisa Padhee ’19, with Bindi International, launched the Youth Climate Leadership Curriculum. This initiative empowers rural youth by making climate issues locally relevant and encouraging them to speak up and take action while recognizing the unique perspectives and contributions of local wisdom.

As part of her fellowship project, Ginger Ramirez ’17 helped establish the Practice-Based Family Medicine Residency Training Program in Northern Samar to address the shortage of rural health physicians. In 2022, Deborrah Liao ’18, one of the Municipal Health Officers who trained for the Family Medicine Residency program that Ginger helped create, is now a trainer for the program.