I am the middle child in a family of nine. My elder brother is a doctor and I grew up admiring the field.
You can call it peer influence at a family level. Also, from an early age, I developed this ambition to work extra hard in academics.
Three years after attaining a degree in medicine at the University of Nairobi, I won a commonwealth scholarship that enabled me to study Master of Science in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Matiko Riro, 38, is a medical doctor. He currently works as the regional technical advisor for Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) where he leads technical work across the sub-Saharan region. He also works part time as an advisor at Gates Foundation to improve maternal health outcomes.
Did your childhood influence your career choice in any way? Yes, it did. I am the middle child in a family of nine. My elder brother is a doctor and I grew up admiring the field. You can call it peer influence at a family level. Also, from an early age, I developed this ambition to work extra hard in academics. Three years after attaining a degree in medicine at the University of Nairobi, I won a commonwealth scholarship that enabled me to study Master of Science in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. What drives me is how far I can drive policy change within the health sector.
