Chifundo Colleta Zimba | Health Professions | Best Researcher Award

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Dr. Chifundo Colleta Zimba | Health Professions | Best Researcher Award

Nurse/Midwife Researcher C/O University of North Carolina Malawi

Dr. Chifundo Colleta Zimba is a Malawian Community Health Nurse/Midwife and a Global Health expert with over 20 years of experience in public health systems strengthening, strategic leadership, and program management. She has collaborated with ministries of health, international organizations, and academic institutions to influence health policies and improve healthcare outcomes. Currently, she serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, focusing on public health surveillance, evidence-based decision-making, and policy formulation.

Profile

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Education 🎓

  • PhD in Nursing – Health Care Systems | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA | 2016
  • Postdoctoral Research in Global Health | UNC-Chapel Hill | 2016 – 2018
  • Graduate Certificate in Global Health | UNC-Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, USA | 2016
  • Bachelor of Science in Community Health Nursing | University of Malawi, Kamuzu College of Nursing, Malawi | 2008
  • Certificate in Leadership | Rotary Leadership Institute, Maryland, USA | 2022

Professional Experience 🎓

  • Lead Researcher | USAID/Malawi | 2024 – Present: Conducted a comprehensive assessment of lead poisoning challenges and developed a national action plan.
  • Project Director & Principal Investigator | UNC Project, Malawi | 2016 – 2022: Led multi-site public health programs, integrating mental health into non-communicable disease care.
  • Study Supervisor | Malawi University of Science & Technology (MUST) | 2023 – 2024: Managed the ICAN Project, supporting rural family planning services.
  • Program Evaluation Lead | Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) | 2022: Conducted a national evaluation of the Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) Framework.
  • Adjunct Associate Professor | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 2024 – Present: Provides mentorship, research guidance, and capacity-building in public health.

Research Interests 📝

  • Public health systems strengthening and policy development
  • Global health program implementation and evaluation
  • Mental health integration into non-communicable disease care
  • HIV/AIDS prevention and maternal health
  • Environmental health, including lead poisoning mitigation

Awards & Recognitions 🏆

  • Recipient of the UJMT Fogarty Global Health Fellowship Grant (NIH, UNC Chapel Hill, USA)
  • Pilot Grant Recipient for integrating depression into cancer care at Kamuzu Central Hospital (2019 – 2022)
  • Project Director for the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Partnership (SHARP) for Mental Health Capacity Building (2017 – 2022)

Publications Top Notes: 📖

For a full list of Dr. Zimba’s publications, please visit her Google Scholar profile: Google Scholar

Notable Publications:

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission: program changes and the effect on uptake of the HIVNET 012 regimen in Malawi

Safety, uptake, and use of a dapivirine vaginal ring for HIV-1 prevention in African women (HOPE): an open-label, extension study

“I would love if there was a young woman to encourage us, to ease our anxiety which we would have if we were alone”: Adapting the Mothers2Mothers Mentor Mother Model for …

Reasons for nonadherence to the dapivirine vaginal ring: narrative explanations of objective drug-level results

Perspectives on HIV partner notification, partner HIV self‐testing and partner home‐based HIV testing by pregnant and postpartum women in antenatal settings: a qualitative …

Hygiene, blood flow, and vaginal overload: why women removed an HIV prevention vaginal ring during menstruation in Malawi, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe

Women’s views about contraception requirements for biomedical research participation

Quality of life among patients with cancer and their family caregivers in the Sub-Saharan region: A systematic review of quantitative studies

Facilitators, barriers and potential solutions to the integration of depression and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) care in Malawi: a qualitative study with service providers

Reta Tesfa | Health Professions | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Reta Tesfa | Health Professions | Best Researcher Award

lecturer dilla university Ethiopia

Reta Tesfa Merga is a dedicated public health professional with a Master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition. She has over six years of experience in healthcare, spanning clinical, academic, and humanitarian roles. Her expertise includes maternal and child health, emergency nutrition, and community health interventions. Currently, she is serving as an MNCH Project Officer at World Share Ethiopia, leading initiatives to enhance healthcare services and nutritional support for vulnerable populations.

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Education 🎓

Reta Tesfa Merga holds a Master’s degree in Public Health Nutrition (MPH) from Dilla University (2024) with a CGPA of 3.88. She also earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Nursing from Addis Ababa University (2017) with a cumulative GPA of 3.76. Additionally, she has completed various professional training programs, including ANC National Guidelines, DHIS2, and Nutrition in Emergencies.

Experience 💼

With extensive experience in healthcare management and clinical practice, Reta has worked in various roles:

  • MNCH Project Officer at World Share Ethiopia (Feb 2024–Present): Leading maternal and child health projects, overseeing nutrition screening, and providing medical supplies to healthcare facilities.
  • MHNT Nurse (May–Dec 2022): Supported UNICEF and ORHB in community-based nutrition screening, SAM and IMAM training, and emergency medical interventions.
  • PHCU Director at Kercha Woreda (2021–2022): Managed healthcare centers, coordinated reporting, and facilitated community health initiatives.
  • Clinical Nurse (2018–2021): Specialized in under-five OPD care, treating communicable diseases, and implementing IMNCI protocols.

Research Interests 🌍

Reta’s research focuses on maternal and child health, emergency nutrition, and community-based healthcare interventions. She is particularly interested in improving healthcare access in underserved regions and developing strategies for sustainable nutrition programs.

Awards & Recognitions 🏆

Reta Tesfa Merga has been acknowledged for her contributions to public health and nutrition programs, particularly for her leadership in humanitarian health projects and emergency response initiatives.

Publications Top Notes: 📚

Reta has contributed to research in public health nutrition and maternal health. Her publications include:

Determinants of compliance with iron-folic acid supplementation among pregnant mothers in Bule Hora district, Southern Ethiopia: unmatched case-control study