Dr. Chinedu Chugbo reflects on his experiences

Dr. Chinedu Chugbo, who recently earned a master's degree in international health with the support of APIN, reflects on his experiences.

"I had worked in a rural medical center in northern Nigeria, run a polio vaccination campaign, and served as a health program manager with an international nonprofit organization. But I wanted to take my public health career to a new level. My dreams became real when I learned that I had been awarded a two-year fellowship with APIN to pursue a master's degree in international health at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Outside the lecture rooms, I had ample opportunity to apply the concepts I was learning in class. As part of one course, for instance, I helped the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention develop a framework for evaluating a lead poisoning prevention project targeting poor, minority children in Connecticut. I spent spring break at Oxford University, where I interacted with people working on issues ranging from fighting HIV infection among Nigerian women to providing poor people in India with low-cost eyeglasses. And after earning my MPH, I spent a month at Massachusetts General Hospital learning about the clinical management of HIV disease.

For the second half of my fellowship, I am back in Nigeria, where I am now helping to expand antiretroviral treatment programs in six tertiary health centers across the country, an initiative we call "APIN Plus," which is part of the Harvard School of Public Health's three-country PEPFAR-funded program.

I provide support to these treatment centers in the areas of research ethics, data management, and monitoring in what is turning out to be a complex and challenging endeavor. In one year alone, we hope to provide treatment to up to 8,000 patients. Knowing that I am playing a role in reducing stigma and bringing hope to thousands of people living with AIDS in my country gives me true fulfillment."