What About Rural Health?™

In this thought-provoking episode of What About Rural Health?, host Chinasa Imo sits with Dr. Titilayo Ogumbambi, a public health expert whose work blends psychology, policy, and community development to reshape health outcomes in underserved areas.
Dr. Titilayo breaks down the real barriers rural communities face — from lack of transportation and inadequate financing to shortages of skilled community health workers. She also highlights the less-visible obstacles: fear, stigma, mistrust, and deep psychosocial burdens that shape how people seek and respond to care.

The conversation dives into the complex layers of gender-based violence, reminding us that GBV cannot be treated as a single issue, but as the outcome of intertwining social, cultural, and economic realities.

Dr. Titilayo introduces the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) model, showing how communities can unlock their own strengths — social networks, informal support systems, and local leadership — to drive sustainable change. She also speaks to the power and resilience of refugees living in rural areas, and why supporting them strengthens entire communities.

On public policy, she emphasises a hard truth: Nigeria doesn’t lack policies; it lacks implementation. Without proper follow-through, the best ideas remain only ideas.

From trauma-informed care to community-driven development, this episode is a reminder that rural health transformation isn’t just about medicine; it’s about people, power, and the systems that connect them.

Want to be a guest on What About Rural Health?™? Send Chinasa Imo a message on PodMatch, here: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1762029634065133df1c28412

What is What About Rural Health?™?

From the Margins: Let’s Create the Narrative Together
What About Rural Health?™ is a podcast series dedicated to bringing focused
discussions on the unique challenges, lived experiences, opportunities, and innovations
within rural healthcare—both locally and globally. Our mission is to bring rural health to
the forefront of the global health conversation, ensuring these stories are not just heard,
but impossible to ignore.

Hosted by Chinasa U Imo, a Global Health Policy Strategist, and produced by
WARH?™ Studios, this immersive series blends first-hand accounts, expert insights,
policy conversations, and cutting-edge research to elevate rural health in the global
discourse. Each episode features voices from the frontlines—community members,
healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers—unpacking the structural
gaps and innovative solutions shaping access to care in underserved communities.
From deep-dive interviews to field-based storytelling, we bring rural health out of the
margins and into focus—sparking dialogue, inspiring action, and influencing decisions
and policies that advance equity.

Whether you're a health professional, a student, a researcher, a policymaker, an
advocate, or a curious listener, What About Rural Health?™ invites you to rethink global
health through a rural lens—and join the movement to make rural health impossible to
ignore.