From Campus to Capitol Hill: Carrying Global Health Advocacy into 2026

Written By: Ameena Momand

Each year, global health organizations release reports documenting progress in childhood immunization, maternal and child health, and the fight against preventable diseases. These documents often read like a mix of data-driven optimism and cautious warning. But behind every statistic lies a policy environment that determines which programs survive, which expand, and which collapse under the weight of funding cuts or shifting political priorities.

An organization at the forefront of this work is Shot@Life, which is a United Nations Foundation campaign dedicated to expanding global access to vaccines and vaccine equity. Last year, I attended the Shot@Life Champion Summit in the capital of the United States → Washington, D.C. This was an experience that not only broadened my understanding of global immunization initiatives, but also clarified the responsibilities of emerging public health professionals like me at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This mission is what first drew me to Shot@Life, and I am now in my second year serving as a College Ambassador with the campaign. The role has given me the opportunity to learn, advocate, and engage with global health issues far beyond what I encounter in the classroom. 

2024-2025 Shot@Life College Ambassador Cohort in D.C. For Annual Summit!

What Is the Annual Shot@Life Summit?

The Shot@Life Summit brings together advocates at all stages of their journey to strengthen their ability to engage with policymakers and advance global childhood immunization efforts. For me, it was the first time I viewed advocacy not as a peripheral public health skill but as an essential one. Before the Summit, I understood the theory: that government appropriations influence global vaccine delivery, that congressional committees shape the budgets of agencies like UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the CDC, and that program continuity depends on bipartisan support. But learning these concepts is one thing; actively using them in meetings with elected officials is something else entirely.

Harrison (GA Constituent) Speaking With Office Representatives With Ameena (AL Constituent)

Walking into congressional offices shifted my understanding from academic to practical. In those conversations, I witnessed how public health evidence becomes policy language and how numbers transform into narratives that capture the urgency of protecting children from diseases like measles or polio. We discussed how global immunization programs have prevented millions of deaths and why sustaining U.S. funding is less a matter of generosity and more a matter of global stability, economic security, and ethical responsibility.

Reflections and Lessons Learned From The Summit

The polio discussions were especially impactful. Polio has become a symbol of what is possible when global health communities mobilize around a shared objective. Today, only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, continue to report cases, and global eradication is within reach. That proximity to success, however, is precisely why continued investment is critical. The Summit emphasized a reality I had not fully appreciated before: in public health, progress is fragile. A single funding interruption or decline in political commitment can undo decades of work. This message was powerfully reinforced by Ramesh Ferris, a polio survivor and global health advocate, who shared his personal story with us. Hearing firsthand about the lifelong consequences of a disease many consider a disease of the past, transformed polio from an abstract policy goal into a deeply human issue. His testimony underscored how the concept of “near-eradication” can be deceiving—diseases do not fade away quietly. They persist until the last possible moment, waiting for vulnerabilities in health systems to reemerge.

College Ambassadors With Keynote Speaker: Ramesh Ferris!

As a public health student at UAB, I found myself drawing connections between these policy challenges and the broader disciplines students can study: epidemiology, health behavior, global health systems, and health communication. UAB often emphasizes the integration of research, community engagement, and translational practice, and the Summit made that integration visible. I saw how theoretical frameworks from my courses, such as the Social Ecological Model, global health governance structures, and health diplomacy were manifested in real advocacy settings. That connection felt especially tangible while on Capitol Hill, where advocacy moved beyond abstraction and into direct dialogue with policymakers.

There was also something grounding about representing UAB in those spaces. While on Capitol Hill, I, alongside Wajiha Mekki (UAB student and Shot@Life College Ambassador), had the opportunity to briefly speak with Representative Terri Sewell of Alabama. Representative Sewell also represents UAB students given the district we are located in. We shared why we were there, the public health perspectives we bring as UAB students, and the importance of sustained investment in global immunization. At the time, Congress was in the midst of high-stakes federal funding and appropriations negotiations to prevent a government shutdown, and Representative Sewell was in Washington actively voting and advocating on behalf of Alabama. Even within that fast-paced and demanding environment, she took a moment to listen and engage with students. That moment underscored how UAB trains students to engage with health problems that are both local and global, and how those perspectives intersect in policy spaces. I left with a deeper appreciation that global health is never distant work. Vaccine inequity influences global migration patterns, international security, and trade stability, but more fundamentally, it reflects the collective responsibility we share to protect human life. Sitting in congressional offices and discussing appropriations with legislative staff, I felt the weight of that responsibility.

Ameena and Wajiha With Representative Sewell!

Personally, the Summit shifted my view of what it means to be an advocate. Advocacy is not only showing up on Capitol Hill; it is also the ongoing work of translating public health knowledge into action within our own institutions and communities. As I continue my studies and move toward a career in public and global health, I see advocacy as a core responsibility. Whether I engage in research, clinical practice, or global health programming, policies will dictate the reach and effectiveness of my work.

Ameena and Wajiha with Senator Britt's Office of Alabama

What Role Do We Have as Students to Engage in Global Health Advocacy?

This experience also made me think more intentionally about how students can contribute. Students often see advocacy as something reserved for professionals with decades of experience, but the Summit proved the opposite. Policymakers respond to informed, authentic voices, especially those who represent the next generation of the public health workforce. Our futures are most affected, so our perspectives carry weight by the policies being debated today.

Looking ahead, I am committed to continuing my involvement with Shot@Life and deepening my engagement with global immunization efforts. I hope to bring more students at UAB into these conversations, expand dialogue around global health funding, and encourage others to see advocacy as integral to public health practice, not an optional add-on. Whether that is through congressional office meetings, Zoom meetings with the appropriate staff of elected officials, phone calls, protests, or phone banking, the fight to eradicate preventable diseases, strengthen immunization systems, and protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases remains unfinished. And while that reality can be daunting, it is also a call to action.

The Shot@Life Summit taught me that global health progress is sustained not only by international organizations or government agencies, but by individuals willing to understand the issues, show up in policymaking spaces, and advocate for what is right. Advocacy is both a privilege and a responsibility. And every voice, including mine, contributes to the momentum needed to ensure every child everywhere has a shot at life!

Wajiha Mekki, Ameena Momand (GHIG Advocacy Chair), and Sai Garlanka (GHIG Events Chair) at the Annual 2024-2025 Shot@Life Summit

Go Blazers! 💚