Ms Safaa Garelnabi
Ms Safaa Garelnabi is a passionate public health specialist and social entrepreneur working to improve the lives of adolescents in underserved communities across Uganda. With a strong foundation in science and global health, Ms Garelnabi’s career blends academic excellence, grassroots experience, and bold leadership in tackling some of the most pressing issues facing young people today.
Ms Garelnabi holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology from Monash University Malaysia (2011 to 2013), where her interest in health systems and equity first began to take shape. This growing passion led her to pursue a Master of Science in Nutrition for Global Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2016 to 2017). Together, these academic milestones laid the foundation for a career rooted in evidence, compassion, and innovation.
For over eight years, Ms Garelnabi has worked with government and non-government organisations to manage and implement sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs. Her work often took her into remote and rural areas, where she lived and integrated closely with the communities she served. These experiences not only deepened her understanding of local health challenges but also revealed an urgent need to empower adolescents and equip community stakeholders with the tools to make lasting change.
In 2023, Ms Garelnabi co-founded Hope Springs Health Foundation Uganda (HSH), a non-profit organisation dedicated to revolutionising Ugandan healthcare through community-powered services. HSH’s work combines digital tools, peer education, and community-based outreach to reach adolescents with accurate, timely, and culturally sensitive health information. In its first year, the organisation reached over 1,000 young people. Today, it continues to grow as a trusted, youth-centered resource in Uganda.
Ms Garelnabi’s leadership has been instrumental in scaling HSH’s programs. Alongside her team, she has raised over $65,000 in competitive grants, supporting innovations like MUWALA, an AI-powered tool that predicts adolescent pregnancy risk to enable early intervention. She is an alumna of both the Global Health Corps Fellowship and the International Strategy Forum, and her coalition-building work through these platforms helped shape her vision for HSH.
Her work directly advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), Goal 4 (Quality Education), and Goal 5 (Gender Equality), ensuring that young people not only survive, but thrive.
In addition to her public health work, Ms Garelnabi has spent over seven years as an online tutor in Mathematics and English, helping students around the world achieve academic success. Her dual commitment to health and education reflects her deep belief in the power of knowledge to transform lives.
Looking ahead, Ms Garelnabi is focused on reaching millions of adolescents with life-saving information while creating sustainable employment opportunities for youth in Uganda, ensuring that community-driven health and development remain at the heart of her mission.
Ms Garelnabi will be presented with her Award at Monash Malaysia at a later date.