Alumni Spotlight: Arabella, MSc Paediatrics and Child Health

Please tell us a bit about the work you are doing now.

I am currently living and working in Madagascar as a community health programme officer for SEED. I am working with both international and national staff on projects which aim to work in conjunction with the communities they serve. This is being facilitated through health system strengthening and community and professional health worker capacity building to improve health-seeking behaviour and knowledge among mothers in southern Madagascar. This post has equipped me with the tools necessary for a career in global programmatic development which include, report writing, managing donor expectations, and being involved in all parts of the maternal and child health programme implementation cycle.  

Why did you choose to study your programme?

I have a BA from Durham University in Anthropology and Archaeology and I took the MSc in Paediatric and Child Health: Global Child Health to develop the skills necessary for a career in global child health. This course has made me aware of the multifaceted manifestations of health and disease that go beyond clinical perception. I undertook modules focussed on health system strengthening, the essentials of global child health during programme implementation and international humanitarian aid. These were further reinforced by theoretical qualitative and quantitative modules, which I have already utilised in my new position.