Namaste! I am Usha, born and raised in the Himalayas of Nepal, where I finished my Bachelor in Public Health and worked for around two years in reproductive health rights. During my time in Nepal, I was convinced that injustices and inequalities happen only in developing countries.
Then I migrated to Europe to experience the long-held belief in Nepal, a Utopian society of equality. Little did I know about the global scenarios from my bubble; I was surprised to see and learn about the injustices and inequalities in European countries. During my MSc in Global Health at the University of Copenhagen and a fellowship in an NGO - Humanity in Action, I learned that inequality in health is not a problem of the developing world alone but a global problem. And no country is immune to it. The question is how much the state recognizes the existing inequalities.
I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. on environmental health inequalities from the SURREAL project at the University of Tartu, Estonia. Through my Ph.D. research, I aim to strengthen the evidence on the existing health inequalities in Eastern Estonia, where the oil shale industries lie. The evidence on the complexity of the health systems will help policymakers recognize social and structural dimensions of health inequality, especially in the energy transition context.
Taking a long walk in nature is my favorite sport; as you can guess, I miss my good old trekking days in the lap of the Himalayas. Should I think about preparing for a race walking in the next Olympics? Maybe not! Because I also love to sit on a couch and watch movies that depict society and philosophize reality (e.g., Expanse, The Ship of Theseus).
