Ngong Jacqueline Shaka
2019 Winner
Position: Medical Doctor, Founder/CEO
Organization: Youth 2 Youth – Cameroon
MSc Candidate, Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine from University of South Wales
Additional Degrees and Certifications:
– Doctorate in General Medicine (MD), Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, November 2017
– Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials, Johns Hopkins, November 2016
– To Screen or not to screen? Methods and Health Policies through case studies, University of Geneva, December 2016
– Health in Complex Humanitarian Settings, Emory University, January 2017
– Health for All through Primary Healthcare, Johns Hopkins, February 2017
– Epidemics, Pandemics and Breakouts, University of Pittsburgh, February 2017
– Clinical Epidemiology, Utrecht University, February 2017
– Global Health an Interdisciplinary Overview, University of Geneva, March 2017
– Global Health Diplomacy, The State University of New York, March 2017
– Systems Thinking in Public Health, Johns Hopkins, January 2018
– Community Change in Public Health, Johns Hopkins, February 2018
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Award:1. Improving Sexual and Reproductive Health of Young PeopleAwarding Organization:High Impact Practices,FP2020 and IBP InitiativeDate Awarded:April 25, 2019
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Award:2. International AIDS Society Educational Fund AwardAwarding Organization:International AIDS SocietyDate Awarded:March 21, 2019
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Award:4. KECTIL certificate of Superior PerformanceAwarding Organization:KECTILDate Awarded:January 18, 2019
“Dr. Jacky is a tireless advocate for sexual reproductive health and rights in her home country of Cameroon, where she launched her own NGO (Youth 2 Youth – Cameroon) and has reached thousands of youth to date with SRHR information.”
– John Shane, Communications Director at Male Contraceptive Initiative
Describe your contributions to and achievements in family planning.
Through a strategy I implemented, Immediate Post-Partum FP prevalence has risen by 70% in my health facility with 70% of users opting for reversible long lasting methods by empowering 15 nurses who work with me. I masterminded a human-centered advocacy strategy that led to the creation of the first ever youth friendly corner in my region. Through my NGO, Youth 2 Youth (Y2Y), I have engaged with over 2,500 youth in the past 6 months to impart information regarding FP through events at schools/churches/streets. The youth-friendly FP flyer I designed is now used by the SRH unit of the NW Regional Public Health Department for their youth FP campaigns. I have organized two seminars in anticipation for the ECHO trial results in our FP unit. Every month I host radio programs on Youth and FP
What sparked your passion for family planning?
My childhood friend with whom I had dreamt of studying medicine died at the age of 15 from a complicated delivery. Practicing as a GP in the very heart of a conflict zone which has led to the closure of most schools, I consulted a teenager who presented with a perforated uterus on an ectopic pregnancy from an unsafe abortion. Witnessing the pain and the frustration of these these young girls has pushed me into unfailing youth SRH advocacy especially for vulnerable youth in conflict zones.
Give one or two examples of how you display leadership in your family planning work.:
As head of the antenatal/FP unit, I manage FP programs with special focus on a youth-friendly service delivery system with the use of high impact practices. As the CEO of Y2Y, I work with a team of 20 volunteers to advocate for improved youth SRH services with special focus on empowering CHW to disrupt the stigma around youth and FP. I also provide strategic assistance to the SRH department of the North West Regional Department of Public Health to guarantee meaningful youth–led accountability.
If you are named a winner of 120 under 40, how will you use this new platform and the $1000 grant to advance your work?
The 120 under 40 platform will be an incredible honour, that will allow me to share with the other champions best practices that have worked in my setting and to learn from their own approaches and successes. I have partnered with Youth Tech Health, MCI, and FHI360 to develop a mobile app concept as a an emergency response to reach the youth in the crisis zone in Cameroon with FP/SRHR information. The $1,000 award will be used to sensitize the youth on the availability/usefulness of the app.
Video Introduction:
Photos of the nominee in the field/at work:
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