Purdue MPH student leads efforts to improve health outcomes across continents through tailored messaging

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu 

Prudence Mbah (center) accepts her Leadership in Action Award from the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence.(Photo by Dave Mason)

From West Africa to Southeast Asia to the United States, Prudence Mbah, a graduate student in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, is dedicated to improving health outcomes wherever she goes. By pursuing her Master of Public Health in the College of Health and Human Sciences and her PhD in health communication through the College of Liberal Arts, Mbah is setting herself on a path to improve health messaging and implement programs where they are needed through global research. 

“The science is saying we’re going to keep having reemergent or new emerging infectious disease, so it’s something that’s going to be recurring,” Mbah said. “So how do we prepare for this? That’s always been in the back of my mind: Prevention is always cheaper than a cure, so how do we get people ready for prevention? That has guided all of my research.” 

The core of her research at Purdue looks at message fatigue and why people may ignore health messages. While she is specifically doing work in Liberia in West Africa, which is still recovering from civil war, her hope is to improve health messaging throughout the world to help countries be better prepared for their next infectious disease outbreak. 

“We hope we can educate people and get people to become more conscious of these infectious diseases,” Mbah said. 

Beyond research efforts in Liberia and previous work in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Thailand, Mbah has also made a difference at Purdue. She served as the mental health officer of Purdue’s Nigerian Students Association, where she implemented training sessions to improve members’ understanding of health insurance in the U.S. as well as alternative mental health options for Nigerian students through Mental Health America. Likewise, Mbah held leadership roles with the Communication Graduate Student Association and created a successful cultural event to help foster a sense of community in the Brian Lamb School of Communication.  

With years of local and global impact already under her belt, Mbah was recognized in fall 2024 with the Leadership in Action Award from the Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence for her excellence across health advocacy, intercultural leadership and academic work.  

Mbah gives her presentation at the Leadership and Mentoring Community Banquet.(Photo by Dave Mason)

“It was wonderful to have people recognize the work you do,” Mbah said. “Most of the time, I just did things because there was an opportunity for me to do those things, not because I needed recognition. I was just in places where I saw a need and thought, ‘How best can we tackle this?’ The other recipients were people doing great things like heading departments, people who are making so much impact. It felt good and encouraged me not to relent. I felt very grateful.” 

Prior to coming to Purdue, Mbah worked in Nigeria as a community engagement officer through a program funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. This work inspired her to continue her education in health communication.  

“Providing this health information was so impactful,” Mbah said. “We were able to get a number of volunteers to conduct clinical trials, and it was a success. I knew the fieldwork, but I didn’t know the science behind what I was doing.” 

Mbah received her bachelor’s degree in theater arts before getting a master’s degree in communication at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. As she worked toward her PhD, Purdue’s option to get an MPH and her PhD simultaneously was particularly appealing. Ultimately, Mbah noted the MPH has transformed the way she thinks about her work, providing a valuable addition to her resume. 

“It has broadened my perspective,” Mbah said. “Each time I look at health communication issues, I look at them from a public health perspective. If I can’t translate the research to my community, then I feel like I’ve wasted my time.” 

In addition to her work in Liberia, Mbah is also working with Randolph Hubach, professor and head of the Department of Public Health, to look at mpox messaging in the United States and how it can be improved. 

“Prudence exemplifies the land-grant mission of Purdue University,” Hubach said. “Her efforts to better tailor health messages for local communities is a vital public health strategy as we seek to address current and emerging issues.” 

Ultimately, Mbah’s passion for this work stems from personal experience, which drives her to continue toward lasting change. 

“I remember the panic when the Ebola epidemic happened,” Mbah said. “I was still in Nigeria then. It was one of those experiences where the society changes, and many times, it can never really be the same after such experiences. 

“I hope we get to the point where we think of things ahead and not wait until it becomes so disastrous.”