Hazel Fajardo

Hazel has been working as a physician for the Department of Health since 2017 – first as a Doctor to the Barrios, then as a Medical Officer for the Undersecretary for Health Systems and Development Team at the National Office, and as a COVID-19 Vaccination Site Medical Officer in a province. As a Fulbright scholar, she will be taking up Master of Public Health at the Yale University School of Public Health, with concentration in Environmental Health. 

Prior to entering medical school, Hazel finished her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering degree from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, where she developed her interest in working in environmental programs. As a Doctor to the Barrio, Hazel was assigned as the lone doctor and head of the local health department in a population of ~30,000 where she handled clinical cases of patients and implemented the local health programs of the municipality. On the side, she has always enjoyed reconnecting with her engineering roots and introducing them to public health, by working with engineering and industrial students from her college, to address public health concerns. These experiences and background have built a unique and promising context for taking up a degree in Public Health with focus on Environmental Health. This training will provide a technical, global, and environmental perspective to the practice of public health and hopefully inspire more collaborative innovations among different fields of expertise.