NJSOPHE history: Araba joined NJSOPHE in September 2018 and contributed to the vaccine and e-cigarette position briefs. Araba is the co-founder of NJ SOPHE’s recent initiative: the Racial Justice and Health Equity (RJHE) Advocacy sub-committee.
Bio: Maame Araba Assan, MPH, CHES received both her Master of Public Health and B.S. in Public Health from Montclair State University and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). Araba has two years of experience in mental health education and programming in higher education institutions. She currently works at a non-profit public health institute evaluating programs in tobacco control and prevention, behavioral health, asthma management, and nutrition & physical activity. Araba has always been passionate about public health, particularly health equity and racial justice. She chose public health as a career to help eliminate health disparities and inequities amongst marginalized communities through a social justice lens. Araba’s research interests include: HIV/AIDS and health equity, infant mortality and pregnancy outcomes for Black women and women of color, and mental illness in communities of color.
