Blessings Kaunda-Khangamwa

About Blessings Kaunda-Khangamwa

An upcoming Research Scientist with a background in social sciences. Blessings holds a PhD in Public and Population Health (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa), a MSc in Medical Anthropology (University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and a BSc in Sociology with a Public Administration minor (Chancellor College, University of Malawi). She is a recipient of more than three fellowships in her academic and research career such as the: CARTA PhD fellowship, 27-20, Health Research Capacity Strengthening Initiative (HRCSI)- 20-21 and the Government of Malawi, scholarship from 22-26.  She has served under the University of Malawi-College of Medicine since 2007, in different capacities as an honorary lecturer, social scientist, research scientist, supervisor, programme manager and coordinator. Currently, Blessings works as a Research Fellow for Malaria Alert-Communicable Disease Action Centre and lectures on a part-time basis at the University of Malawi, College of Medicine in Blantyre, Malawi. Blessings has lectured, facilitated postgraduate and undergraduate courses including handling supervisory roles under the University of Malawi’s College of Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Department of  Health systems and management and the University of Witwatersrand. She has growing experience in the areas of adolescents’ health and wellbeing, HIV, malaria, maternal and child health, advocacy, sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). She is especially passionate about adolescent health, focusing on underlying factors for (non) protective health behaviours, SRH, service use experiences, and processes that foster ALHIV to do well despite adversity. Her PhD, on ‘sexual and reproductive health, service use and resilience among adolescents living with HIV and attending hospital teen clubs in urban Blantyre, Malawi.’ She hopes to continue researching and working with children, young people in contexts of development, (non) communicable diseases in Africa and elsewhere, advocating for better health service provision and wellbeing.

Research

Discipline:

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Area of Specialization:

Medical Anthropology and Public Health Specialist

Area of Research Interest:

Conducting monitoring and evaluation studies, mixed methods research studies, anthropological, sociological and participatory research, HIV/AIDS, malaria, cancer, health systems strengthening, health service research, pandemics, COVID-19 and policy.

Additional Information

Scroll to Top