Monika Kamkuemah

Monika Kamkuemah is an epidemiologist, biostatistician, youth activist, and children's advocate with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of health, community, and environment. Her work focuses on infectious and non-communicable diseases, health systems strengthening, and the social and environmental factors that shape wellbeing. She is dedicated to combining analytical rigor with a deep commitment to social impact. Monika is currently a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cape Town’s Neuroscience Institute, where she investigates how environmental, psychosocial, and developmental factors shape early learning outcomes and wellbeing among children in peri-urban Cape Town.

Her prior work includes co-leading UrbanBetter, a pan-African youth lab that empowered young people to co-create solutions for healthier, more sustainable, and equitable urban environments. This work formed part of her Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria. Recognized as both an International AIDS Society (IAS) Changemaker as well as a Climate and Health Changemaker in the Wellcome Trust–funded and Dalberg Design–led Public Engagement program, Monika's research emphasizes environmental justice and amplifying community voices to build equitable, resilient, and thriving societies across Africa.