Dr Anna Agnes Arach is an educator, public health professional and researcher in the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at Lira University, Uganda. She works at the intersection of teaching, research and community-engaged practice to improve maternal, newborn, child and family health, with a focus on enhancing health outcomes in post-conflict settings in Northern Uganda.

She holds a PhD in Health Sciences from Makerere University, in addition to a Master of Public Health (BRAC University, Bangladesh), a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management (Uganda Management Institute), a Postgraduate Certificate in Public Administration and Management and a BSc in Nursing (Makerere University). Her past research includes perinatal mortality, postpartum depression, bereavement after perinatal loss, and the cultural beliefs and practices that shape families’ experiences and care-seeking. Her peer-reviewed work examines community and health-system determinants of adverse perinatal outcomes and culturally responsive support for women and families after stillbirth or neonatal death. She has published in and reviews manuscripts for international journals including Global Health Action, PLOS ONE, BMJ Open and BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

At Lira University, Dr Arach teaches undergraduate and master’s midwifery, supports curriculum development, and supervises postgraduate student research and clinical placements. She previously served as the first Head of the Department of Nursing and Midwifery. She contributed significantly to the development and establishment of the Midwifery Programme at Lira University and coordinated internship activities under the UMA/HEST/ADB Project. Before joining academia, she held technical and programme roles with Elisabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation/STAR-SW and John Snow Inc (NUMAT and UPHOLD), supporting regional and district-level TB/HIV and malaria prevention and interventions, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity strengthening. At Reproductive Health Uganda, she managed Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights service delivery. At Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland, she led a team that provided integrated child health care to communities in and around an internally displaced people’s camp.