I have a diverse background that integrates practical medical work with deep academic research. My career as a general practitioner and medical officer in Nigeria, combined with volunteering at L’Institut de Recherche en Science de la Santé (IRSS) and UNICEF in Burkina Faso, has provided me with a strong foundation in clinical practice and public health research.

I am a doctoral candidate at the School for Policy Studies, focusing my research on child poverty and inadequate access to basic necessities in Africa. Specifically, I am investigating the disparities between Francophone and Anglophone countries, considering this research crucial for monitoring the SDGs. My goal is to examine the social determinants impacting health and socioeconomic discrepancies, including their correlation with infectious diseases and the broader macro environment. Ultimately, I aim to provide valuable insights that can contribute to developing policies to reduce these inequalities.

I am also examining the correlation between food poverty and poor mental health among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This addresses a significant knowledge gap in understanding the complex impacts of poverty on health. My field experiences in Nigeria, Ghana, and Burkina Faso enrich my multi-disciplinary approach. This underscores the importance of integrating field-based knowledge with policy research to develop more effective public health interventions.

Now, as a doctoral student at the School for Policy Studies, Cynthia’s research focus on child poverty and the deprivation of material needs in Africa, particularly examining the disparities between Francophone and Anglophone countries, is both timely and essential. By studying the social determinants of health and material inequalities and their intersectionality with infectious diseases and the broader macro environment, she contributes critical insights that could inform policies aimed at reducing these disparities.

Cynthia's exploration into how food poverty correlates with poor mental health among adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) addresses a significant gap in understanding the multi-layered impacts of poverty on health. Her multi-disciplinary approach, enriched by her extensive field experience in Nigeria, Ghana, and Burkina Faso, underscores the importance of integrating field-based knowledge with policy research to craft more effective public health interventions.