Maintaining human connections in the public health sphere: An interview with Dr Sunitha Srinivas
Kess Rowe speaks to Dr Sunitha Srinivas about her commitment to forging meaningful connections while advancing her degree in public health, and the importance of humility for the future generation of public health workers.
Public health is deeply interconnected. As a field, it brings together people from around the world who are passionate and driven to make a difference to the health and wellbeing of others. However, with an overarching commitment to improve the lives of as many people as possible, public health professionals often begin to view people as numbers and data, disconnected from the communities that they intend to help. Similarly, an emphasis on networking in public health career progression can make relationships with colleagues seem hollow and strategic. Nevertheless, many public health professionals have successfully maintained positive human connections throughout their careers and strive to address challenges realistically and compassionately. Dr Sunitha Srinivas is a glowing example of someone who has sustained and cultivated these connections—whether this is through having discussions with frontline workers to understand their needs, or by inspiring the next generation of public health professionals.
“with an overarching commitment to improve the lives of as many people as possible, public health professionals often begin to view people as numbers and data, disconnected from the communities that they intend to help”
Sunitha’s public health journey began in the Pharmacy Council, where she was the Deputy Director of the Medicines Information Center. Later, she was trained by the World Health Organization and mentored to lead as the Technical Coordinator of Essential Medicines Programme in her home state Karnataka, India. This was followed by 14 years working as a Professor at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, where she was involved in community engagement projects and educating students. The idea of pursuing formal education in public health was unheard of for pharmacists when Sunitha was younger. So, she drew on her extensive experience to educate her pharmacy students on holistic concepts, equipping them with the tools to bring their own technical understanding of medicines to public health discussions. From there, her career has flourished, and she has continued to pour herself into the causes that are close to her heart. She advises that, “If you throw yourself into [public health] without a second thought, and remain flexible, the journey is beautiful.”.
“If you throw yourself into [public health] without a second thought, and remain flexible, the journey is beautiful”
Supporting frontline workers
Since Sunitha and her family returned to Karnataka from South Africa, she has been involved in numerous public health projects and gained a wealth of experience. Currently, she resides as the Vice President in Public Health for 3Analytics, an organisation that focuses on technological solutions to enable the safety of pharmaceutical products. However, her contribution to public health goes above and beyond her full-time job. One of her most notable roles has been her dedication to volunteering with Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). ASHAs are women that are responsible for health promotion and education within their local area, acting as the frontline community health workers of India. As part of their work, they face many challenges, from accessing the personal protective equipment required to do their jobs, to navigating socio-economic power imbalances often inherent between themselves and their patients, such as education, caste, and gender.
During the pandemic, Sunitha realised that her calling was to support ASHAs in protecting themselves and their families. By involving herself in the lives of these women, she has been able to gain deeper insight into many of the problems facing infection prevention and control measures outside of a primary healthcare setting. For instance, in an ideal situation, ASHAs should change their masks and gloves between each house visit to reduce the spread of infection. However, limited supplies mean that this is often not the reality. To resolve such issues, Sunitha has volunteered her time to advise ASHAs on practical solutions—for example, using disinfectants effectively to reduce the risk. Additionally, Sunitha ensures that this advice is accessible to women with low literacy by providing it in their regional language and through easy-to-understand infographics.
As a mother and a caregiver of older family members, protecting these women on the front line is a particularly dear cause for Sunitha. She can empathise with their struggle to protect not only themselves, but also their families and communities during this challenging pandemic. “These are jobs that stretch you in several directions. I was not shy of being ambitious, and that also has a price. You know, you have to pay a price for everything”, she says, reflecting on her own work-life imbalance.
Inspiring the next generation
Sunitha’s efforts to help students and young professionals in their public health careers are deeply important to her and an integral part of her career in public health. Over the years, she has mentored hundreds of people, through formal pathways of tutelage in academic settings, or by informally expanding her network to students from across the world. She always prioritises discussing her mentees’ concerns and always finds time to do so. Equally, she reminds students of the importance of being thoughtful and true to oneself during a public health career, “A project can be built, a way in which it responds to one’s heart and one’s mind. Because the heart speaks to the emotions and the mind speaks to the thoughts. Only when there is an alignment of thought and emotion, will you have excellent action. When there is excellent action, you get the results that you seek.”
“it’s a matter of understanding how to use one’s own strength in strengthening the healthcare system”
By connecting with the younger generation, Sunitha believes that she can make a difference to the way public health is approached in the future. This is particularly true in India, where more than 50% of the population is under the age of 25. Sunitha hopes that encouraging young professionals to view public health through a community-based lens will have a positive impact on entrenched power imbalances in society, like the caste system and patriarchy. Therefore, strengthening the connection between generations is critical for the new workforce to view health in the “bigger picture” and learn from mistakes made in the previous era. She states that “it’s a matter of understanding how to use one’s own strength in strengthening the healthcare system”.
Especially in the digital age, many young professionals may lose the ability to own up to their own flaws as they attempt to present themselves as a perfect LinkedIn profile. Much like Instagram and other social media platforms, this can have an impact on mental health and wellbeing, as it can lead to people comparing their successes and achievements to others. Consequently, many young professionals may be tempted to focus on pursuing success in their career over learning with humility and open-mindedness. Meanwhile, Sunitha lets her natural passion for helping others and elegant words of advice speak for themselves—without the need to paint herself in a particular light. As an extremely approachable role model, Sunitha demonstrates that connecting with individuals and communities can make a real difference to the health and wellbeing of people in the present, and in the future.
