Afua Nyame-Mireku

Global Epidemiology MPH'22

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September 29, 2021

Afua Nyame-Mireku received a bachelor’s degree in public health from the University of Maryland College Park and decided to go directly to graduate school. She chose Rollins because of the ability to study MCH, global health, and epidemiology simultaneously, and she was selected as a recipient of the MPH fellowship through the MCH Center of Excellence. Highlights of her first year included the Foundations of Maternal and Child Health class and planning a reproductive justice panel with Scholars in Action and the Emory Reproductive Health Association. 

During the summer in between her first and second year, Nyame-Mireku took advantage of a unique opportunity for graduate students interested in MCH epidemiology with the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). Through the AMCHP Graduate Student Epidemiology Program, health departments and other organizations receiving Title V funding host student trainees over the summer. Nyame-Mireku was paired with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Division of Maternal, Child, and Family Health and the Philly Maternal and Child Health Community Action Network to work on initiatives to reduce racial gaps in infant mortality.  

A major focus of the project was holding working groups of lived experience experts who have given birth in Philadelphia. Nyame-Mireku supported this goal by creating infographics on the causes of infant mortality to facilitate discussion and brainstorm potential initiatives. She will continue working on the project this fall to develop an evaluation plan for the proposed initiatives. Nyame-Mireku encourages any student with a strong interest in health equity to apply to the program and recommends networking with classmates to learn about other professional opportunities.  

Nyame-Mireku hopes to work towards identifying interventions to improve health disparities and maternal mortality in Black communities. This fall, she will be working on a thesis exploring whether experiencing racism before giving birth is predictive of using home visiting services during pregnancy. In her spare time, Nyame-Mireku will continue going to dance classes and exploring Atlanta’s restaurants.