Hermon Ghebrat
- Studies
- Master of Science in Public Health and Health Equity 2025-2026
- From
- Eritrea
- Background
- Medical Doctor
My name is Dr. Hermon Berhe Ghebrat, and I come from Asmara, Eritrea. I trained and worked as a medical doctor and I have practiced in Eritrea, South Sudan, and Uganda. These diverse contexts exposed me to fragile health systems and the immense burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in communities already struggling with infectious diseases, poverty, and displacement.
Inequity of healthcare access in Kampala
Kampala city provides a relatively safe haven for refugees from Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, and Democratic Republic of Congo. However, these urban refugees face difficulties of integrating with the community due to differences in culture, diet and language. The rapid urbanization, uncontrolled migration has increased the inequity and disparity of healthcare access for the disadvantaged societies.
One of my follow-up patients is worth mentioning here: a middle-aged woman, a Sudanese refugee, with diabetes who relied on cheap, processed foods because she could not afford fresh produce or even understand nutrition labels in English.
“ I am confident that certain community-based collaborative efforts can significantly ease the growing burden of the public health crisis in sub-Saharan countries. ” ”
Ease the growing burden of the public health crisis
Despite the increase of those NCDs, existing healthcare systems are poorly equipped to prevent, diagnose, or manage these conditions effectively. Through my experiences, I am confident that certain community-based collaborative efforts can significantly ease the growing burden of the public health crisis in sub-Saharan countries.
This might include food policy reforms, community support groups, establishing trusted information hubs, partnering with faith-based and cultural leaders, and implementing English language courses for refugees. These targeted approaches are necessary for empowering communities in identifying credible sources and making a healthy decision for themselves.
“ I want to grow into a public health leader who can design evidence-based solutions that improve health for vulnerable communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. ” ”
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