Jamila Yakubu holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Iowa and a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan. A Nigerian, from Katsina state, Jamila moved to the US when she was a child. She moved back to Nigeria in 2015 to work in public health.
Currently, she works with an NGO as a senior associate on new vaccine introduction and service delivery. In this role, she supports program countries to introduce new vaccines such as Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) into their health system, taking into consideration factors such as which vaccine product to select, training health care workers for service provision and data tracking and communicating global best practices to improve implementation. Additionally, the NGO works to improve service delivery by assessing how to improve immunization coverage through reducing barriers to access and engaging with communities to understand their concerns and fears to reduce vaccine hesitancy. Jamila has country experiences in Nigeria and Ghana and also currently supports Cameroon, Lesotho and Tanzania.
Prior to transitioning to vaccines, she worked extensively in maternal and child health, in Nigeria, to provide information and access to reproductive planning, support women to have healthy pregnancies, equip health facilities, and train providers to be able to take safe deliveries, all in the effort to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.
What led you to pursue a career in health?
Like many people, I had initial plans to become a doctor and did enter college as a pre-medicine student. However, I realized that although I had a strong interest in health, a passion for medicine was lacking. Luckily, I attended a job fair during my junior year of college and landed at a table discussing public health; after going home and researching further, I quickly fell in love with the field! I believe being in public health has allowed me to, in my own way, provide impact in the lives of many people in the countries where I’ve worked and allows me to pivot to different interest areas for maximum impact.
What are you most proud of?
Coming from a cultural background where certain professions are more highly respected, I take great pride in the decision I made to forgo attending medical school in favor of public health. It was difficult at first communicating the choice and reasoning to family and friends, but they were able to see my passion for public health and now fully support me in my career.
Leaving my comfort zone AND family to move to Nigeria alone is also something I’m proud of. It was an adjustment, having to make new friends and settle into a new environment, however 4 years later, I can definitely say it was a great decision! Leaving what I knew was slightly terrifying, but has helped me grow tremendously both personally and professionally.
It is also an extremely humbling experience to visit communities (both urban & rural) and see first hand the impact of the programs I have supported. Fun fact: during one of these visits in Northern Nigeria, I witnessed the delivery of a woman who had gone into labor before getting to the hospital. The traditional birth attendant (TBA), I was conducting a visit with, ran to her home to collect her clean delivery kit, provided by my organization, and ended up taking the delivery in a primary school. Using the skills and commodities our program had trained her with, the TBA was able to safely deliver the newborn and the mother was extremely relieved, as was I!
What do you wish you had done differently?
I’m a firm believer that every experience is an opportunity to learn and improve for the future, so I can’t say I have any regrets or wish I had done things differently. I feel that every situation and experience I have gone through has been a step towards my future and has landed me right where I should be at this point in time.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced? How did you overcome them? What are some of the lessons learnt?
Working in this space means working with governments and other organizations and this can often lead to frustrating bureaucratic challenges to implementation. Every stakeholder has their own priorities and expectations and I’ve realized that emotional intelligence is just as critical as technical knowledge and can be the single factor for success or failure. Relationships and networking are extremely important, as is providing value to the people you are working with, even if they are not able to immediately provide you with the information needed.
What are your views on mentorship and how, if applicable, has it played a role in your career advancement?
I believe mentorship is important and that regardless of your level of experience, there is always someone else you can be learning from. Throughout my career thus far, I have had several mentors, who have guided me and also leveraged opportunities for me to gain additional experience. However, to gain this mentorship, it was necessary for me to reach out and express my interest in the relationship and gauge their availability- you must ask for what you want.
What are some of the opportunities you see for women in health on the African continent?
There are limitless opportunities for women in health across Africa- in the traditional clinical settings (physicians, nurses, pharmacists) and the non-clinical setting (public health, legislature for policy decision making). We as women need to advocate for more girls to receive education and be able to contribute towards the improvement of the health outcomes on the continent.
What advice do you have for other women in health?
My advice is to seek out internships and experiences in your areas of interest. It is a great way to confirm if it’s something you want to pursue further or determine if it isn’t for you. Seek mentorship to gain additional guidance and support for the challenges you may encounter along the way. Remain persistent in the pursuit of your goals and strive to also support and encourage other women around you.
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