The Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program’s 2025 Tessa Jowell Fellowship for Doctoral Research was awarded to Tosin Adebola, a DrPH student at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Tosin’s journey began with hands-on medical practice in Nigeria, followed by advanced studies in Global Health and Development at University College London. Since then, she has worked with global organizations like the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) to enhance vaccine delivery across West and Central Africa. With this fellowship, Tosin will carry out research to strengthen primary health care in Nigeria to improve how the country handles the growing challenge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Tosin’s commitment to health equity inspired her to address the rising prevalence of NCDs in Nigeria, which is one of the top priorities for Nigeria’s Health Ministry. Despite significant progress in tackling infectious diseases, NCDs are becoming a major threat to public health in the country. Cardiovascular diseases and Diabetes account for a large percentage of deaths, yet primary prevention efforts remain underdeveloped. Recognizing this gap, Tosin decided to lead a transformative research project aimed at strengthening NCD prevention mechanisms at the primary health care level. “The reality is, if we don’t strengthen prevention at the primary care level, complications of these diseases will continue to overwhelm our secondary and tertiary hospitals,” she said.

To drive this research project, Tosin will be collaborating with Nigeria’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. This strategic partnership will ensure that her research not only informs policy but also integrates seamlessly into ongoing government health programs. Her research will focus on (1) assessing the capacity of Nigeria’s Primary Health Care system to deliver hypertension and diabetes prevention and treatment services and opportunities for improvement, (2) assessing existing national and subnational policies and guidelines for NCD prevention and control, including identifying gaps in policy design and implementation that may hinder progress, and 3) evaluating the feasibility of scaling up three major successful hypertension control programs piloted in the last five years.

Tosin’s ultimate goal is not just to conduct research but to produce actionable insights that can shape national health policies. She says, “It has to be something useful for them, not just another report that sits on a shelf.”

With support from key stakeholders, her work is positioned to bridge the gap between research and practical implementation.