Vanessa Abokoma Quaye Quaye

Vanessa Abokoma Quaye is a medical doctor from Ghana, currently pursuing an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford. She is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at the University of Oxford and a member of Green Templeton College. Vanessa is committed to strengthening people-centred health systems across Africa and advancing health equity through education, system reform and digital innovation.

She graduated with a BSc in Human Biology and an MBChB from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), ranking among the top of her cohort. Her clinical experience in both primary and tertiary healthcare settings highlighted the challenges posed by health illiteracy, shaping her drive to improve access to accurate and understandable health information. Vanessa has contributed to public health research, including work on the SABR Study in sub-Saharan Africa. She is the founder of Medtransitions Ghana, which supports early-career doctors as they begin clinical practice, and leads the Step Up Mentoring Programme, which trains young professionals in leadership and communication. Through the Health Plug Network, she connects communities to clear health information and affordable wellness services. She is also the author of a digital preventive health resource that has reached hundreds of readers globally. Her work has earned recognition from the TIBA partnership and the West Lion Co’s 35 Under 35 Female Innovator Award.

At Oxford, Vanessa aims to grow in collaborative leadership and health policy, with a focus on co-creating solutions that improve access and health literacy. She hopes to contribute to building resilient health systems that respond effectively to the needs of African communities.