Bayan Galal

Save the Children Fellow

Seeing one illness affect two of my family members drastically differently shaped my interest in global health leadership. My older brother, born and raised in the U.S. is diabetic. He lives life happily and seems to shrug off the disease. My grandmother, born and raised in Egypt was also diabetic. In her case, lacking access to and education on treatment led to severe complications from the same disease that hardly seems to affect my brother. Though medicine enables us to live more fulfilled lives, without adequate policy, the result is null. Working in global health would let me focus on these issues jointly and increase not only what is possible, but accessible.

Working in global health fundamentally requires competency in myriad fields. This fellowship would contribute to my academic and professional goals by letting me gain cross-functional experience now, so that I approach subsequent learning experiences with a better developed multidisciplinary perspective. It would also build well on my experience to date. Last December, I researched healthcare effects of embargoes on Qatar and how the landlocked country stabilized public health in the face of political instability. Similarly, as a PDLI fellow, I am researching healthcare consequences of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Despite being a younger applicant, I believe that my demonstrated commitment to medicine and policy in the global arena uniquely qualifies me for the YIGH Leadership in Global Health Fellowship.