Associate Professor, School of Public Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Olufunke Alaba’s global health focus centers on improving health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, through health economics, health systems strengthening, and equitable resource allocation. Her work examines socioeconomic inequalities in health, the economic burden of disease, food insecurity and obesity, community-led approaches to health and well-being, and the health and economic implications of climate change. Her interests in global health equity align with the Center’s themes of strengthening systems for health and addressing social and environmental determinants of health. Alaba’s research integrates health, development, and environmental economics to investigate health systems financing, socioeconomic inequalities, resource allocation, food insecurity, obesity, and the economic effects of climate change on health. She uses quantitative and mixed methods, economic evaluation, and community-engaged research to generate evidence that informs equitable policies, sustainable financing, and universal health coverage.
