Dr. Helen Nabwera – Paediatrics & Child Health – Aga Khan University – Network Growth

This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Dr. Helen Nabwera, a paediatrician, physician-scientist, and global health leader whose work bridges clinical care, community empowerment, and pioneering research in maternal and child health. Currently based at Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya, she works in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Centre of Excellence for Women and Child Health, the Co-PI PRETERM Africa Study, and is a Physician Scientist and MRC/FCDO African Research Leader. Dr. Nabwera shares her personal journey from growing up in rural western Kenya, where exposure to childhood illness and community hardship shaped her calling, to becoming a leading advocate for vulnerable newborns and a mentor to emerging researchers across Africa and beyond. She takes us through the heart of her work in preterm birth and early childhood development, highlighting the systemic and psychosocial factors that affect maternal and infant health in low-resource settings. Hear about her groundbreaking research on mother-to-mother peer support for families with low birth weight babies, and the vital role of nutrition in long-term child survival and development. She emphasizes that sustainable child health cannot be achieved through clinical care alone; it requires integrated community action, maternal wellbeing, and addressing societal misconceptions. We also explore Dr. Nabwera’s experience navigating the complexities of career, motherhood, cultural expectations, and leadership as a woman in science. She offers honest reflections on guilt, balance, and the importance of asking for help, while also advocating for structural changes in academic and research spaces to better support women’s advancement. Her thoughts on the role of culture, family, and resilience reveal a leader grounded in compassion and driven by purpose. Dr. Nabwera also pays tribute to key women in her life including her mother and fellow trailblazing scientists who inspired her journey and now fuel her mission to support the next generation. She leaves us with a powerful message to young women across the continent: “Find your inner peace—your dreams will emerge from there. An then you know you're going to get to where you need to get.” Whether you are in medicine, science, education, or simply navigating your path, this conversation with Dr. Nabwera is a moving testament to courage, humility, and impact. Tune in for more…