Dr. Ishraga Awad loves the fact her role with Nova Scotia Health doesn’t just touch individuals, but entire communities.
The associate regional medical officer of health says practising public health medicine was “a career opportunity that came my way and I ran with it, and I never looked back. I love the fact that public health interventions affect populations rather than individuals, so the chance to help people is multiplied.”
Born and raised in Sudan, Dr. Awad completed her medical degree at the University of Khartoum and her residency at the Soba University Hospital in South Khartoum. She began her career in Sudan as a pathology MD candidate, where she could observe the impact of infectious, preventable diseases in her microbiology work.
“In Sudan, as a developing country, it was easy to spot the numerous instances where an illness could have been prevented,” said Dr. Awad. She offered the examples of malaria, respiratory infections in children, avoidable deaths among pregnant women, and malnutrition.
“The answer to improving health there was prevention. For example, fighting mosquito growth, taking measures to reduce respiratory infection, and just giving food to those children. Improving hygiene practices would have meant the difference between life and death for a pregnant woman with hepatitis A.”
Dr. Awad later completed postgraduate training in public health and primary care in the United Kingdom.
She said this experience “opened my eyes to the possibilities and the huge potential of prevention of communicable illness and preventable chronic illness.” It helped her “understand the bigger picture of health” and how it can be influenced positively outside of the healthcare system – where people live, work and play. “Once you understand these factors, you can never get public health out of your system.”
Dr. Awad and her husband, a family physician, were mid-career when they began to consider where they wanted to spend the rest of their working lives. A visit to Nova Scotia in 2021 sealed the deal. “We were met with such warmth and made to feel like we would be joining a family and a community that was very much reminiscent of home in Sudan. The decision was made for us.” The two moved to Liverpool in 2024.
The couple felt well supported in getting settled. “When we first came, we had a place ready to receive us and a bank account open and we got our first car within three weeks of being here. We knew what to expect and who to ask if we needed help. I was made to feel welcome by the community in a heartwarming and lovely way; people would drop in to greet me, I was invited to people’s homes and there was always help whenever I needed it. My leaders and colleagues in public health have been equally warm and welcoming and gave me plenty of support to settle and understand the system, in order to contribute effectively.”
Dr. Awad works alongside her medical officer colleagues and the wider communicable disease control teams to prevent the spread of infections, particularly among vulnerable populations like the elderly in long-term care facilities.
She’s excited about another part of her work too – contributing to the initiation of social prescribing. Social prescribing recognizes the many social factors that influence health. “We know that loneliness is a killer – it leads to depression, deterioration,” she said. “With social prescribing, the family doctor is able to prescribe resources in community that would help (the patient) deal with their loneliness. I’m involved in trying to scope how can social prescribing develop in Nova Scotia, and what contribution it can make to people’s health.”
As a newcomer and a member of a minority ethnic group both in the UK and in Nova Scotia, Dr. Awad appreciates the challenges faced by diverse and disadvantaged communities and is committed to ensuring health equity. However, she was quick to point out “it is not always negative experiences that come with being in a minority group; we also appreciate what health-protecting cultural and ethnic factors, beliefs and practices these minority communities can teach us.”
Dr. Awad reinforced the importance of sensitive and informed communication. She offered the example of newcomers from countries where tuberculosis (TB) is widely spread, being diagnosed with TB in Canada. She says there is “often a stigma and people may feel ostracized and ashamed to be diagnosed with it.” This makes it all the more important for healthcare providers to “communicate the risks and explain the conditions of treatment in sensitive, supportive and understanding ways.”
She pointed out that because “newcomers often are grappling with the bigger issues of everyday life – finding residence, settling, finding work, schooling, adapting to a different weather system and making friends,” they may not be as cognizant of health issues. “What we can do is give them information in a way that they can assimilate in the midst of the big changes they are faced with, to empower them to look after their health and the health of their dependents.”
Less than a year into life in Nova Scotia, Dr. Awad is grateful and looks forward to the road ahead. “I would like to say thank you to my community in Liverpool, my colleagues at the hospital and in the public health directorate for this lovely experience. I am continuing to enjoy being here and feel enabled and energized to contribute in any way I can to improve health for the communities of Nova Scotia.”
Photo of Dr. Ishraga Awad.
This profile is part of African Heritage Month, celebrating the contributions, achievements and impact of Black individuals in healthcare and beyond. Through these stories, we honour the legacy, resilience and excellence of Black professionals who continue to shape and inspire our communities.
