What is global health and how can we juggle a career whilst creating meaning in our own life?

In this episode, I was thrilled to have Priya talk about her fascinating journey which is very international indeed! Priya and I discuss her life’s work, her mission to make things better but also the lack of female mentorship in global health and the choices she was confronted with. We also explore some of the struggles women face from safety being abroad to thinking about life choices such as fertility and freezing eggs when pursuing a career. I hope you enjoy this podcast. By way of background, Priya is an optometrist by training but took the route of public health and working globally. She grew up in Tanzania and had a very diverse upbringing between boarding school in Kenya and then an International School in Tanzania. She had a keen interest in bringing her passion, her spiritual quest and her career together. And global health was the perfect fit for her. Of course not withstanding it’s challenges! She realised very quickly after doing a few voluntary trips abroad that building health systems should have a sustainable approach and not one off feel good projects. Currently she holds a dual position, as Assistant Professor in International Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Head of Global Programme Design at a social enterprise called Peek Vision based out of London working in ten countries. Priya’s experiences and challenges come from her work in implementing projects and teaching in over 20 countries. Her PhD has led her further to better understand how complex behaviour change is, especially in resource scarce settings. She’s been recognised by the World Council of Optometry for her role in public health as a young leader and has recently also been included as a Fellow of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics. And a couple of weeks ago was admitted into the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers. She continues to walk on her spiritual path and had made running a part of her journey with an obsession woth running marathons and when she couldnt do that, decided to climb Mt Kilimanjaro!