Hellena Angella Nagawa

Nagawa Hellena Angella is a pharmacist, feminist leader and advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, antimicrobial resistance and climate justice. She is the Founder of the EcoFlow Youth Initiative, a youth-led platform addressing period poverty by producing and distributing reusable sanitary products and skilling young people to sustainably manufacture them. Hellena has conducted extensive research on contraceptive access and use among young women, identifying barriers to utilization and informing evidence-based interventions. She has presented her research at major conferences, including the 8th RHNK Pan African Adolescent and Youth SRHR Conference and the Centre for International Reproductive Health Training Conference. She has also provided psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence and advocated for improved protective policies. She is a fellow of the Youth Action Climate Change Initiative (YACCI), the Aspire Leaders Program and the Emerging Leaders Foundation Africa. Hellena currently serves as a member of the African Youth Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance and as a pharmacist at Mulago National Referral Hospital, bridging clinical practice with advocacy for resilient health systems. She has also served as the East African Community Youth Ambassador to Uganda, the first female Guild Speaker of Mbarara University and Vice President of the Uganda Pharmaceutical Students’ Association, championing youth leadership, regional integration and amplifying young women’s voices across Africa.