Emmanuel Ayeni

In Nigeria, several thousands of children are malnourished susceptible to illnesses, and at risk of childhood blindness due to inadequate knowledge of public health nutrition. This geared my interest to study the MSc Public Health Nutrition degree at Edge Hill University and learn about various alternatives for improving a healthy diet, what to consume, the right amount, and how to identify healthy foods, especially among less privileged and hard-to-reach communities. Over the last 8 years, I have coached community extension health workers on the benefits of micronutrients, safe administration, and infection prevention best practices of administering micronutrients of Vitamin A and albendazole (deworming tabs) to eligible children between the ages of 6-59 months in Nigeria.

I was keen to learn about various ways to improve children’s and elderly nutrition and how longevity could be achieved in the early years of life. Knowing that healthy diets could build stronger immune systems and lower the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

MSc Public Health Nutrition is a comprehensive degree that develops nutritional knowledge on healthy diet and prevention of dietary-related. What is fascinating about the course is that it gives room to criticality, scientific appraisals, strong academic writing skills and the assessment approach to learning about dietary and national guidelines on preventing and managing dietary-related diseases. The degree involves learning about nutritional recommendations, nutrition requirements, diseases metabolism and how positive reinforcement interventions and behavioural change could improve health. As well as this, the course explores socio-ecological factors that affect nutrition, including disparities in culture, education, race, economic background and the role of individuals, families, communities and government to ensure and promote comprehensive and sustainable health that could achieve global health for all.

I plan to acquire more skills and training on the need for social and behavioural changes in public health nutrition and do a PhD in a related field. In the long term, I plan to work with international agencies such as UNICEF, FAO and other national feeding food policies and contribute to the science of nutritional fortification, healthy food choices, and promote access to a healthy diet.

Studying this degree has brought me the consciousness of what to eat and the need to check food labels before buying, to see the amount of fats, salt and other nutritional values. I am systematically trying to embrace food sustainability; where does my food travel or come from? What alternatives are there to lower the contribution of greenhouse gases? How can I reduce, reuse, recycle and interact with the green planet in food choices and health?

I’ve also had the opportunity to interact with public health journalists on how to conduct interviews and present facts. The need to acquire experience and build up professional social media accounts were some take homes from the degree.

The MSc Public Health Nutrition degree will create opportunities and equip you for the future. The course will also improve your self-confidence in scientific justification and the roles of a healthy diet in disease prevention and improving healthy wellbeing.