Proochista Ariana: Building capacity for global health impact
The intersection between international developments and health is complex and multidimensional. Development initiatives, such as building roads, can enhance access to healthcare, education and markets, yet may also increase risks such as accidents and disease transmission. In Liberia, we investigate factors contributing to maternal and neonatal mortality through policy analysis and community perspectives. Our Master’s in International Health and Tropical Medicine aims to foster effective solutions and capacity building in global health leadership.
My name is Proochista Ariana and I direct the Master's course in International Health and Tropical Medicine.
I look at the intersection between processes of international development and health, appreciating that development itself is complex and health is multi-dimensional. So how development unfolds can have different effects on the different dimensions of health. For example, if you develop a road in a country, that road is going to facilitate access to healthcare facilities, to schools, to markets, to increased diversity of foods, but at the same time it could increase road traffic accidents, it could contribute to the transmission of infectious diseases, and it can lead to more sedentary lifestyles. So, there is a need to appreciate how development can directly, indirectly, intentionally and unintentionally affect the various dimensions of health.
We've recently been working with our collaborators and partners in Liberia, where we're looking at the persistent maternal and neonatal mortality in the country and determining what are the factors that are contributing to that. We've been looking at policies, we've been looking at how policies are implemented, we've been looking at perspectives and listening to perspectives of people who deliver the care, and as well of course the women in the communities that are most affected, to understand how can we better address this burden and what are the barriers as well as the opportunities for that.
To make the most impact with my work, I would like to contribute and continue to contribute to capacity development, to allow the future leaders in global health to build their research skills, innovate solutions, implement the changes and use evidence to affect policy.
It would be wonderful to have more scholarships to fund candidates who have the capacity, the interest and the experience, and avail them of all the opportunities that Oxford Masters have to provide, and diversify our student populations and enable them to take those skills and expertise that they learn here, and make a difference in their countries
This interview was recorded in July 2024.
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Proochista Ariana
Associate Professor
Proochista Ariana
Proochista Ariana, Associate Professor of International Development and Health and course director for the MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine, NDM Centre for Global Health Research at the University of Oxford, tell us how her work helps building capacity for global health impact.
Translational Medicine
From bench to bedside
Ultimately, medical research must translate into improved treatments for patients. Our researchers collaborate to develop better health care, improved quality of life, and enhanced preventative measures for all patients. Our findings in the laboratory are translated into changes in clinical practice, from bench to bedside.