I am Dr. Christelle Mpoulet, promoter of the MediLiteracy blog.
I am a medical Doctor specialized in Field Epidemiology (no, I don’t only deal with epidemics). In practice, this specialty involves studying health problems within populations (diseases or other events that can affect the health of a large number of people). In simple terms, my work consists of understanding why certain diseases affect certain communities, how they spread, what we can do to prevent them, and how we can control them when they occur. In other words, it is that side of Medicine that helps you PREVENT, in complementarity with clinical or hospital Medicine that helps you CURE.
I hold a Doctorate in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of the University of Yaoundé 1 (formerly CUSS), a Master of Science in Field Epidemiology from the University of Buea, and Certificate of competence in Advanced Field Epidemiology issued by the CDC Atlanta (Center for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta) through the Cameroon Field Epidemiology Training Program.
My professional experience after obtaining my Doctorate in Medicine includes approximately one year of hospital medicine in a rural area (Mvangan), one year as the Chief Medical Officer of the International Vaccination Center in Ebolowa, nearly 3 years as the Coordinator of the Regional Center for Epidemics Prevention and Control for the Southern Cameroon region, and 2 years of advanced internship at the Central Coordination of the Expanded Program on Immunization. In doing so, I have carried out research work in a varied range of community contexts both sociodemographic and socio-anthropological, in the framework of case investigations of diseases, training of Community Health Workers, end-of-study research work or supervision of mass activities initiated by the Ministry of Public Health.
To achieve better results in any field of action, understanding the issues by the stakeholders is crucial for their effective involvement. Access to correct information is the first step towards this understanding, which also is essential for awareness. In terms of health, every individual is an actor for themselves as well as for their community. Based on my professional experience in the cameroonian context, I have observed that the complexity of medical language (jargon) is one of the obstacles to understanding health issues by individuals. The rigth information is disseminated but is not always understood by the target audience and worse, it is often covered up by misinformation.
As a Cameroonian, I was born and grew up in Cameroon, a country rich in both cultural diversity and public health challenges. Having been brought up in a family that instilled in me values such as empathy, caring and well-done job, I strive to embody these values in my medical practice. I believe that health is a fundamental right that should be accessible to everyone, regardless of social or geographical status. It is this conviction that guides my every action and fuels my determination to work for a healthier and more equitable society.
I therefore felt the need to create this blog in response to the low level of understanding of health issues, in order to offer my expertise to people who are not familiar with medical jargon and/or who do not have a high enough level of education to understand easily. My goal is to raise the level of medical literacy for as many people as possible, making this blog a valuable resource for anyone seeking reliable health information in simplified language, both in Cameroon and elsewhere. It was with that optimism in mind that MediLiteracy was born. With the slogan “Savoir-Comprendre-Agir pour une meilleure santé” (“Know-Understand-Act for a better health”), this blog represents my vision of a world where access to medical information means autonomy and equity, and it reflects my commitment to health promotion. I invite you to join me so that together we can build a more informed and healthier world!
Friendly,
Dr Christelle Mpoulet, Freelance Writer (production of medical content combining scientific rigour and editorial clarity for an effective and impactful health communication).
To find out more , you can check out my LinkedIn profile