Centennial
Alumni Feature: Faith Chabedi, OD, MPH ‘15 - Public health has opened the door to social development
Prior to receiving her master’s degree in Public Health from Salus University, Dr. Faith Chabedi was an optometrist with a special interest in extending her services to the poor. This interest led to the birth of the Bona Bolo project, a non-government organization (NGO) that provides eye care services to underprivileged children in South Africa. Dr. Chabedi’s undying desire to make a difference kept her going as a senior clinical advisor for Special Olympics Opening Eyes Africa Region for 15 years.
After graduating from Salus, Dr. Chabedi was appointed as a manager for inclusive health at Special Olympics International. In this new role, she establishes and manages partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, development organizations, regional agencies and higher learning institutions in order to forge the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities through the reformation of health systems in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa.
Individuals with intellectual disabilities experience significant health disparities as compared to the general population. Some of the health issues the athletes face include tooth decay, uncorrected refractive errors and blocked ear canals. Dr. Chabedi’s role is to raise awareness and advocate for the necessary interventions to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and ensure the attainment of sustainable goals that are inclusive of those with intellectual disabilities.
Since 2016, Dr. Chabedi’s significant assignments include participation in the task committee working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to introduce QualityRights in the care of those with mental health, psychosocial and intellectual disabilities; participation in the global campaign on “Good treatment on girls, boys and adolescents with disabilities” run by the Special Envoy to the U.N. General Secretary on disability and accessibility; and the recent visit to the African Union Chambers to raise awareness on how Special Olympics uses sports to impact social development of people with intellectual disabilities in Africa.
South African children are still receiving eye care services from Bona Bolo, where fellow optometrists have teamed together to provide eye care services to learners. In South Africa, universal health coverage is still a political concepts and its implementation needs to be tried and tested. “We are aware that whilst political processes are being followed, generations are passing and every child must have an opportunity to access education without any limiting barriers, especially the avoidable barriers like refractive error,” Dr. Chabedi said.
Dr. Chabedi was recently honored with an award from the Optometric Industry of South Africa in recognition of her work through Bona Bolo, Special Olympics Opening Eye Program and the role she has played to defend the rights of the poor, marginalized and vulnerable populations all over Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa.
In closing, Dr. Chabedi said, “I am thankful for all these opportunities in life. The knowledge and the encouragement we received at Salus, where we were encouraged to do our best to use our qualifications to make a difference in our regions has yielded fruit. I am a proud alumni of Salus University and I am a humble African making a difference.”
