Joy Sambo
Science Officer, Japan Hub
Joy Sambo is a visiting researcher, mentor and educator specialising in public health, gender and social sciences. She holds a PhD and Master's in Comprehensive Health Sciences from Hokkaido University, Japan, and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Gender Studies from the University of Zambia. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH), Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), gender equity, health inequalities, disability inclusion, and sustainable environmental health practices, using mixed-methods and community-engaged approaches to examine how social, environmental and policy conditions shape health and wellbeing among adolescent girls and underserved communities. Her recent work in Zambia has investigated menstrual management practices and needs among schoolgirls, WASH conditions, menstrual product access and disposal, hygiene, solid waste management, disability and MHH and challenges in implementing MHH policies. Before joining Hokkaido University, she worked as a Sociology Tutor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Zambia, and her research and teaching experience has strengthened her commitment to interdisciplinary research, evidence-informed policy, and translating community experiences into practical solutions for health, gender equity and sustainable development.