Driving Change in Global Health: Meet New College Alum Jonta Kamara

Jonta Kamara. Photo Credit: Mr. Henry Pictures

Jonta Kamara (HBA 2020, NEW) is a health system and policy analyst on a mission to improve health service delivery and local medical supply manufacturing across Africa. Her professional background spans key policy and fellowship roles with Nigeria’s Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), the City of Toronto, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC). She currently serves as a Resource Person on the Health Programmes Committee of Amref Health Africa’s International Board and has advised the Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing and Amref Health Africa’s Youth in Action.

A 2024 Public Health Agency of Canada Regional Youth Delegate, Jonta was invited to the WHO TDR Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative in Nairobi, Kenya. Her recognitions include the 2022 U of T African Alumni Association Outstanding Recent Alumni Award and Best Poster at the Canadian Global Health Students and Young Professionals Summit.

Jonta earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Health Studies with a double minor in African Studies and Immunology from the University of Toronto, holds a Master of Public Health with Merit from King’s College London, and completed advanced training in infectious disease epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. A dedicated U of T alumna, she built a strong foundation through the African Studies Program and the New College Career Mentorship Program.

We caught up with Jonta, who shared her experiences while at New College and what’s next for her:

How would you describe yourself as a student, and how did that experience shape you?

I was a very engaged and studious student, balancing my academics with extra-curricular activities across student groups such as the African Studies Course Union, African Students Association, and the Rare Disease Review Journal–serving in roles from first-year representative to social media team member and journal contributor. I also took advantage of opportunities at New College and U of T, including the New College Career Mentorship Program and the Learning Abroad program to study at King’s College London. These experiences helped me develop essential skills in project management, strategic communications and stakeholder engagement that directly prepared me for my career.

Is there a relationship or connection from your time at New College that has stayed with you?

Professor Marieme Lo, Director of the African Studies Centre, is someone I will always remember at the College. I first met her through the African Studies Course Union, and although I never took a class with her, her office was a welcoming space during my undergraduate journey. It became a valuable resource for guidance, especially when I was changing my major. Our connection has continued past graduation, as I regularly update her on my career and she continues to invite me back to the Centre’s events.

Since graduating, what paths have you taken? What are you most proud of?

Since graduating, I have embarked on a nonlinear career full of new and complementary opportunities across public policy and global health. Following my Master’s in Public Health, my work has focused on strengthening chronic disease evaluations, children’s services, healthcare value chains, and digital learning programs with organizations such as UNICEF, the City of Toronto, the U.S. CDC, and Nigeria’s PVAC, alongside strategic advisory roles with Amref Health Africa and the Second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing.

On a personal level, I am most proud of building initiatives from the ground up to support and connect with others. I launched a website and blog sharing insights on my career and African public health that has reached over 3,500 readers across 85 countries and partnered with the Harvard Chan African Health Students Forum for their 2nd annual conference. Driven by that same desire to guide others, I turned a period of career uncertainty into an opportunity by launching a career consulting service to support young professionals–a milestone that was spotlighted in Voyage ATL.

Beyond your work, is there a passion project that is meaningful to you?

Outside of work, I enjoy nurturing my creative side of me, through modelling and content creation. Having minored in African Studies, and grown up in the African diaspora, I view modelling and content creation as a form of storytelling. They allow me to explore different cultures and express them through fashion and hairstyles.

What’s next?

I accepted an offer to start a PhD in Health Policy and Health Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, working on the African Health Economics and Diagnostics project. Building on my two published journal articles on African healthcare markets and my work at PVAC, my research will focus on the political economy and market forces shaping Africa’s diagnostic markets to provide evidence to support the implementation of local manufacturing policies. Expanding diagnostic access enables early detection and response to outbreaks, minimizing public health emergencies. I am excited to work on this project that can have a positive impact on public health in African countries.

What advice would you offer alumni based on your experiences?

Keep moving! You may not be content with everything in the moment but it’s important to keep pursuing your goals, as you don’t know what opportunities await you.

Rapid Questions: Back Then at NEW

• Favourite Spot on Campus: The Emmanuel College Library, Victoria University – it was the prettiest. In general, I would spend a lot of time at the library studying and would try to explore different libraries on campus.
  
• Go-to study snack: Either a brownie warmed up or a plain bagel with cream cheese, toasted. That was how I put in my order.
  
• Favourite Book: I really enjoyed the readings for my African Studies and Global Health classes as it made me rethink what I know.
  
• Favourite Class: Undergraduate Research Project on Inclusive Education in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania.
  
• If you could give your first-year self one piece of advice: It’s okay to change your major.