I have reached a point in my professional, volunteer and academic career where I realize that in order to affect the kind of changes that I feel addresses the greatest, most pressing needs in healthcare disparities, particularly with regards to maternal health, I need to enter into an academic relationship with America’s finest institution of public service. By conducting doctoral research in public administration, I will be well prepared to do what I can to reduce healthcare disparities, working in education and with the appropriate governmental sectors to bring about progressive change in the right direction.
I look forward to engaging in intensive reviews of published and upcoming literature and research in the investigation of innovative methods of providing public health services in developing nations and making them sustainable. The objective of my research is to explore contemporary healthcare issues and the complications posed by healthcare disparities in developing nations, focusing on maternal health.
There is an increasing annual trend, worldwide, despite medical advances, of women dying in childbirth. In 1985, the WHO estimated half-a-million women died in childbirth. Twenty years later, that number has increased seven percent, with developing nations having statistics as disturbing as 1 in 8 women dying in childbirth in Sierra Leone, as opposed to, for example, 1 in 170, 000 in Sweden. This is wrong. To quote UNICEF, I, too, believe in zero.
I was born, raised, and educated in Uganda. I have seen firsthand the outbreak of epidemics that could have been prevented if not for healthcare disparities. For almost twenty years, I worked as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team in the Mulago Hospital in Kamapala, Uganda as a nurse and midwife. During that time, I slowly developed my understanding that the root cause of these startling statistics is in the delivery of health services in developing nations. My experiences have shown me that while a lack of resources compounds the problem, the solutions lie not in a handout, but in developing public policy, and strategy. There needs to be a concerted effort to utilize continuous research, networking, collaboration, and innovation, to find and implement new methods to bring about sustainable change in the provision of health services, with systemic change to human resource organization geared towards sustainability. Healthcare challenges come and go. Therefore, even the most developed health service delivery systems need to develop systemic improvements to meet challenges as they emerge. This is the impetus and goal for my Ph.D. studies.
I anticipate working as a professor in a quality institution of higher education, one in which there are many opportunities and facilities for conducting independent research into the mitigation of maternal mortality and morbidity rates in developing nations. The ideal environment would allow me to conduct research into analyzing global health care policies and advising governmental officials on current health issues and trends, in the most critical areas of the globe - through seminars, symposiums and workshops. My ability to speak five languages competently will aid me tremendously in multinational endeavors as we labor together to improve maternal health services in developing nations, especially the design of public health delivery policies and strategies.
It is my understanding that experts in higher educational institutions are frequently called upon by government policy makers for expert advice in specific areas. It is one of my objectives to serve as a provider of relevant and current thinking to such policy makers, public services, and other health-service delivery institutions on matters related to improving maternal health services.
The XXXX School has over seven decades of conceptual continuity in public service academics, consistently leading the nation in public policy education, if not setting a world standard and is my sole choice for further education. Furthermore, the School has exactly the courses that I require, and is famed for creating an educational environment that places a greater emphasis on diversity of not only student body, but also curriculum than any other school in America. I anticipate my educational experience being thoroughly enriched through my exposure to the activities and projects being developed in the XXXX Center for Health and Public Service Research (CHPSR). The opportunity to be educated by and collaborate with ____ School’s faculty, is exactly the relevant exposure that I crave.
I bring to the ____ School not only extensive healthcare experience, but also training in social work and social administration. My maturity, multinational experiences, travels throughout Africa and multidisciplinary background will lend itself ideally to the public administration program and enrichment of the student body. More than this, the school’s location allows for unparalleled access to resources, and chances for further involvement and development over and above the academic experience. I look forward to the opportunity to develop myself as a creative leader for effective and sustainable public administration.
Your time and consideration are appreciated, and I eagerly await a personal interview.
PHD Public Administration Personal Purpose Statement