April 10, 2026 | Dr. Zea Malawa & Dr. Nneoma Ojiaku
Description:
Record-breaking heat has been experienced across the country. It is important that healthcare professionals understand and educate colleagues, patients, and community members about the health impacts of extreme heat and explore equitable solutions. Join us for this webinar, featuring Dr. Zea Malawa, pediatrician and Director of Expecting Justice and The Abundant Birth Project, and Dr. Nneoma Ojiaku, OB/GYN and Physician Advisor at Mercy San Juan Medical Center and 2022 CHEF Fellow and CHEF Alumni Engagement Network (CAEN) member. Together, they will discuss the impact of extreme heat during pregnancy and childhood.
Speaker Bios:
Dr. Zea Malawa is a mother, pediatrician and award-winning public health professional. She is the founder of Expecting Justice, a public health program that uses systems change and justice-oriented approaches to close the racial gap in birth outcomes. In that capacity, Dr. Malawa became a key partner on the drafting and passing of California’s Momnibus Act in 2021. Also that year, Dr. Malawa and her team launched the nation’s first pregnancy guaranteed income program, the Abundant Birth Project. This pioneering program provides pregnant people facing the greatest risk of disparities, with a monthly guaranteed income.
Dr. Nneoma Nwachuku Ojiaku is an obstetrician-gynecologist, physician advisor, and public health leader with expertise in clinical care, healthcare quality, and health policy. She currently serves as a Physician Advisor at Mercy San Juan Medical Center and has been named Physician Champion for Green and Sustainability Initiatives, supporting efforts to integrate environmental stewardship into healthcare delivery. Her clinical background includes caring for underserved populations in Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) settings, informing her commitment to improving maternal health outcomes and advancing health equity. Dr. Ojiaku previously served as a Medical Consultant with the California Department of Health Care Services, where she led audits and system-level quality initiatives across Medi-Cal health plans. A former Climate and Health Equity Fellow, her work focuses on the intersection of environmental exposures, structural inequities, and pregnancy outcomes, with the goal of advancing equitable and sustainable healthcare systems.