Fellows

The Afya Bora one-year Fellowship runs from July to the following June. It was piloted for the year 2011-2012, and the full scale program was launched for the year 2012-2013. Fellows are listed below by year.

CURRENT FELLOWS (2016-2017)

Botswana

photo of Kefalotse Dithole

Kefalotse Dithole, D Litt et Phil, MSc, RN

Bio

Dr. Kefalotse Dithole is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Nursing at the University of Botswana. She obtained her Doctor of Philosophy and Literature from the University of South Africa, Pretoria in 2014. She received her MSc degree in Critical Care Nursing at University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in 1999. For the past 29 years she has been teaching nurses at diploma, undergraduate, and graduate levels in Botswana. Her research focuses on improving nurse–patient communication in intensive care units in order to improve quality of care. She also focuses on HIV and AIDS prevention in the community. She received the University of Botswana Community Engagement in HIV and AIDS Award in 2016. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society and Botswana Nurses Union.

photo of Mooketsi Molefi

Mooketsi Molefi, MBChB, MSc

Bio

Mooketsi Molefi holds a Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is a Medical Doctor and Lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine & Public Health, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Botswana. He focuses on teaching Epidemiology and Biostatistics principles. He also does Epi-info and STATA workshops for the trainees. His research interests are HIV/AIDS, TB, Cryptosporidium and infectious disease modelling and survival analyses. Dr. Molefi has worked with the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) and is now involved in a Gilead sponsored multi-site Crypto clinical trial. He also has recently ventured into time-series analyses for health programs /policy evaluation in Botswana.

photo of Gontse Tshisimogo

Gontse Tshisimogo, MD, MPH

Bio

Gontse Tshisimogo is a trained physician and received her MD and MPH from St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies in 2009 and 2007 respectively. She works as a District Program Manager in Bobirwa District Health Management Team in the Ministry of Health in Botswana. In her role, she oversees the implementation of disease prevention, treatment and care programs for the Ministry of Health. She was formally a Medical Officer at Princess Marina Hospital, the largest referral hospital in Botswana. Dr. Tshisimogo research interests are implementation science and reduction of the maternal and child morbidity and mortality through clinical audits of proven interventions at district and national level. Her other interests are project management and health systems strengthening to improve health outcomes.

Cameroon

photo of Lily Haritu Foglabenchi

Lily Haritu Foglabenchi, BSN, MIPH-SRH

Bio

Lily Haritu Foglabenchi is a Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Nurse in the AIDS Care Prevention Program of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services. She has over seven years of clinical, programmatic, research and community health experience in Cameroon and India. She currently oversees the implementation of a PEPFAR funded project that seeks to evaluate the change in unmet contraceptive need among women living with HIV following the integration of family planning into HIV care in Cameroon. Prior to this, she led the design and implementation of mobile clinic projects that provided cervical cancer screening, family planning, HIV counselling and syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections across 55 communities in rural Cameroon. Her work has earned her the Ministry of Health recognition for an Outstanding Contribution to Women’s SRH, the Moremi Initiative Leadership Award and the US Department of State Women in Public Service/Global Health Award. She holds a Master in International Public Health with specialization in SRH from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, England.

China

photo of Yi-Han Lu

Yi-Han Lu, MD, PhD

Bio

Yi-Han Lu holds a PhD of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and a MD of Preventive Medicine from Shanghai Medical School, Fudan University in China. He is continuously interested in the epidemiology of infectious diseases. As an Associate Professor at Fudan University School of Public Health, Dr. Lu works in collaboration with clinicians, lab technicians, and CDC staff in diverse areas to study viruses widespread in China. He is undertaking several grants, including molecular epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics of zoonotic Hepatitis E virus, molecular characterization of Hepatitis C in key populations, and epidemiological pattern of enterovirus causing HFMD and Herpangina. Dr. Lu teaches teaches applied epidemiology to medical and non-medical undergraduates and a molecular epidemiology to graduates students.

Kenya

photo of Peter Maturi Mwamba

Peter Maturi Mwamba, MBChB, MMed

Bio

Dr. Maturi is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Medicine, University of Nairobi where he has taught for the last nine years. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from Nairobi University. He is a Clinical Pathologist qualified from the University of Nairobi. He has fellowships in Hematology/Oncology and blood transfusion from West Virginia University USA and Emory University USA respectively. He is a member of the College of Pathologist East, Central and South Africa. He was the Lead Technical Advisor for a country wide Center for Disease Control (CDC) project supporting blood safety in Kenya. His research interests are in HIV associated cancers and blood transfusion. He is involved in clinical work at the Kenyatta National Hospital.

photo of Rosa Chemwey Ndiema

Rosa Chemwey Ndiema, MBChB, MMed

Bio

Rosa currently works at Kenyatta National Hospital as a Gynecologist and Honorary Lecturer with University of Nairobi. Her interest primarily focuses on quality of maternal health care where she heads the departmental Quality Assurance and Performance Contract Appraisal that ensures promises made to Kenyan women as regards to delivery of maternal health are met as per hospital objectives. Her research interest in evaluating guideline uptake in management of Antepartum Hemorrhage at Garissa County Hospital that showed adherence levels of 36.1% led to sensitization of health workers on the know-do-gap in clinical practice.

photo of Collins Owek

Collins Owek, BSc, MS

Bio

Collins Owek holds a Master’s degree in Community Health and Development from Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Kenya. In 2012 he completed a Bachelor in Health System Approaches from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. He received a diploma in nursing in 1997 from Medical Training College-Kisumu, Kenya and Post-graduate Diploma in Project Management in 2013 at Kenya Institute of Management, Kenya. Mr. Owek has over 14 years of experience in primary health care and HIV program implementation with district health systems and non-governmental organizations in Western Kenya. Currently he is the Program Manager for the Partnership for Innovative Medical Education Program in Kenya (PRIME-K) at the University of Nairobi. In addition, Mr. Owek is a Consultant on MNCH group at the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) and is a Lecturer at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology in Kenya. He’s a member of the Eastern Africa Health Professional Educator’s Association (EAHPEA) as well as a member of Kwanza Kenya Toastmasters Club whose mission is to empower individuals to become effective communicators and leaders.

Tanzania

photo of Neema Jimmy Kyamba

Neema Jimmy Kyamba, BSc, MPhil

Bio

Ms. Neema Kyamba is a Registered Nurse and a Regional Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health Coordinator working with the Regional Health Management Team of the Kagera Region in Tanzania. She is a public health nurse with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in 2004 and Masters’ degree in International Health from University of Bergen, Norway in 2008. Neema become a leader in reproductive, maternal and child health services coordinating Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, family planning, maternal health, new-born health and child health services in the Kagera Region. Under her leadership she has been a great support in promoting family planning services and data quality improvement on reproductive health services and in Kagera Region. Neema is passionate and highly involved in PMTCT programs, family planning interventions, new-born health programs and in-service trainings.

photo of Stella Mushy

Stella Mushy, BSN, MSc

Bio

Ms. Mushy is an Assistant Lecturer at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in the School of Nursing. She holds a Master’s degree in Midwifery and Women’s Health from Makerere University, Uganda since 2014 and received her BSN from Muhimbili University in 2009. Since 2015 Ms. Mushy is also working with Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (Jhpiego) as a lead trainer in the Helping Babies Breathe and Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding after Birth trainings. Her research work is focused on reproductive health issues he most recent project looked “Factors Associated with Underutilization of Emergency Contraception among Young Women in the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.”

photo of Denis Mzaga

Denis Mzaga, MD, MPH

Bio

Denis Mzaga is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at National AIDS Control Program in Tanzania. He is a Medical Doctor by training and received his MD from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2009. He received his Master’s degree in International Health at Boston University School of Public Health in 2013. At National AIDS Control Programme he provides assistance both programmatic and in clinical direction in implementation of monitoring and evaluation in HIV management. He works as Global Fund Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the Program. He researched on the improvement on access to HIV care and treatment in Tanzania and presented the results in 20th International AIDS Conference.

photo of Bruno Fokas Sunguya

Bruno Fokas Sunguya, MD, MSc, PhD

Bio

Dr. Sunguya is a Lecturer at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania and a Visiting Lecturer in the University of Tokyo, Japan, and University of Western Cape in South Africa. He is a medical doctor, graduated in 2006 at the University of Dar es salaam, and holds Masters degree in International Health and Doctoral degree in Global Health from the University of Tokyo. He has a ten years’ experience in nutrition, health systems, and HIV/AIDS research. He has disseminated his research work widely in 21 peer reviewed research articles, 3 book chapters, and international conferences in Africa, Asia, and Australia. He has worked with the Ministry of Health and World Health Organization in the revision of National policies and implementation guidelines in nutrition, maternal and child health, and infectious diseases in Tanzania.

Uganda

photo of Elizabeth Ayebare

Elizabeth Ayebare, BSN, MN-MWH

Bio

Ms. Ayebare is a Lecturer at the Department of Nursing, Makerere University. She received a Bachelor’s of Nursing degree in 2004 and a Master of Nursing (Midwifery and Women’s Health) degree of Makerere University in 2014. She holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Child Nursing from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She has special interest in maternal and child health, particularly preterm birth and newborn care. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Honor Society and the Deputy Country Lead for the Lugina Africa Midwifery Research Network (LAMRN). Ms. Ayebare has worked with nurses and midwives in Uganda to improve clinical care for patients through audits, skills training and mentorship.

photo of Hanifah Nantongo

Hanifah Nantongo, BSN, MSc

Bio

Ms. Hanifah Nantongo holds a Bachelor of Nursing Science and a Master of Science in Pharmacology from Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Uganda. She is a Teaching Assistant at MUST in the Department of Nursing and has 5 years teaching experience in nursing education which involves a community health aspect. Her involvement in the teaching of students in the community and interaction with the local people has contributed to her engagement in research to address community challenges. She has carried out research on retention of community health workers (also known as village health teams [VHT]) that mobilizes the community for HIV/AIDS care and providing care for children under-five years of age with diarrhea, pneumonia and fever. Hanifah has special interest in improving the use of medicines in communities as a strategy to the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

photo of Connie Olwit

Connie Olwit, BSN, MSN, MPhil

Bio

Ms. Olwit Connie is a Nurse and a Lecturer at in the Department of Nursing, Makerere University in Uganda. She holds a Master’s degree in Mental Health Nursing from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences and a Master’s degree in Public Mental Health from University of Cape Town. Ms. Olwit received her Bachelors’ degree in Nursing from Makerere University. Her research work is focused on Chronic Sorrow among caregivers of patients with chronic conditions and stigma towards patients living with chronic mental disorders. Ms. Olwit desires to improve mental health service delivery in Uganda.

photo of Eleanor Namusoke-Magongo

Eleanor Namusoke-Magongo, MBChB, MMed

Bio

Dr. Namusoke-Magongo holds a Master’s degree in Pediatrics and Child Health from Makerere University in Uganda. She is currently the Program Officer for Pediatric HIV Services at the AIDS Control Program, Ministry of Health. Her role includes policy development, planning, coordinating, and supervising pediatric HIV services in the country. In 2014, she led the team to implement the national policy for the Test & Treat approach for all HIV infected children. In 2015, she led the process of developing the national mentorship framework for HIV services. She is a member of the National Pediatric ART Subcommittee that provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health in pediatric and adolescent HIV services. In 2012, she was trained as an “Emerging Voice for Global Health” in China by a global program that mentors young researchers.

USA

photo of Radha Karnad

Radha Karnad, MBChB, MSc

Bio

Dr. Radha Karnad is a UK trained doctor (from the University of Southampton) with a Masters in Public Health (Health Service Management) from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is passionate about maternal and reproductive health, and believes that it is only by improving health systems that we will find solutions to global public health problems and improve access to health. Most recently, she worked for three years as Clinical Programs Manager at Jacaranda Health, a chain of maternity hospitals offering low cost and high quality maternity services. At Jacaranda, Dr. Karnad was responsive for organizational health systems strengthening through addressing the quality of service delivery, cutting costs, developing quality improvement programs, and capacity building for health service providers. She is an experienced project manager and team leader, and has built and maintained local and international stakeholder relationships. Her wide breadth of experience encompasses clinical medicine in hospital and community settings, health care management, quality of care program development, clinical training and education, and healthcare consulting.

photo of Sarah Puryear

Sarah Puryear, MD

Bio

Dr. Sarah Puryear is a physician with interests in global health and infectious disease. She completed medical school and the Osler Internal Medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She has worked in Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana. Her research interests have ranged from tuberculosis contact tracing in Botswana to HIV care cascades in Baltimore to complications of HIV/TB coinfection in South Africa. During residency, she completed clinical rotations in Klerksdorp, South Africa and Pune, India and helped to develop a global health track within the residency program.

photo of Katherine Reed

Katherine Reed, MSN, MPH

Bio

Katherine Reed holds a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters of International Public Health from Boston University. She is a Nurse Practitioner, board certified in Family Practice and Orthopedics. Katherine has spent the last 5 years in specialty clinical practice in orthopedic surgery, primarily joint replacement in Boise, Idaho and pediatric orthopedics in Tacoma, Washington. Prior to that, she worked providing primary care services in a community health center in Hilo, Hawaii as part of her work commitment to the National Health Service Corps. In 2014-15, she spent 4 months volunteering for CURE International in Kijabe, Kenya; Lusaka, Zambia; and Blantyre, Malawi. CURE is an American Christian mission organization that specializes in providing orthopedic and other surgical services to children with injuries and disabilities. Katherine has specific interests in trauma care, access to affordable surgical services in resource poor settings, injury prevention, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on recovery from surgery.

ALUMNI

Year 2015-2016 (year 04)
Year 2014-2015 (year 03)
Year 2013-2014 (year 02)
Year 2012-2013 (year 01)
Year 2011-2012 (pilot)

2015-2016

Botswana

photo of Wame Dikobe

Wame Dikobe, MD, MPH
Ministry of Health

Bio

Dr. Wame Dikobe has over 3 years experience working in the Botswana health sector in both rural and urban settings. She holds a dual MD/MPH degree from St. George’s University, Grenada, and is currently working towards registering as a Public Health Specialist, by fulfilling a two year attachment gaining practical experience in the Botswana context. Prior to this, she worked as an Accident and Emergency Medical Officer at Princess Marina Hospital, the largest referral public hospital in the country. Dr. Dikobe also has a passion for operational research, especially in TB/HIV. During her studies in the US, she co-authored a publication under the mentorship of Freya Spielberg, RTI International and University of Washington, that had programmatic implications for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) HIV testing recommendations. In her current role, as the district program manager she provides oversight of implementation of all national public health programs. This involves planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all the programs to ensure delivery of essential services. She is also conducting a community project aimed at improving community TB care (CTBC), in collaboration with the Botswana National TB program (BNTP) and CDC Botswana. She is also a member of the National Malaria Technical Working Group. Dr Dikobe’s interests are health systems strengthening, health policy , program management and operational research.

photo of Bayengemali Rosemary Munyere

Bayengemali Rosemary Munyere, MPH, BSc, RD
I-TECH

Bio

Bayengemali Rosemary Munyere holds a Master of Public Health from Medical University of Southern Africa and BSc Nutrition & Dietetics with State Registration in Dietetics from the Robert Gordon University. She is a Clinical Dietitian at Nyangabgwe Hospital, Francistown. She currently heads the department which comprises of inpatient, outpatient and a nutrition rehabilitation program. She was part of the team that started a nutrition rehabilitation program for care of children with malnutrition infected and affected with HIV/AIDS at Princess Marina Hospital and Nyangabgwe Hospital. The program enrolls children from 0-18 years with malnutrition. Ms. Munyere was appointed as a health quality surveyor (inspector) for licensing health facilities and for compliance with the good standards of practice.

photo of Malebogo Pusoentsi

Malebogo Pusoentsi MBBCH, MPH
Ministry of Health

Bio

Malebogo Pusoentsi holds a Masters of Public Health degree from University of Newcastle Australia with a primary basic training in Medicine. She is a Public Health registrar having specialized in chronic disease epidemiology and global health, and her interest is effective and sustainable integration of chronic Non-Communicable Disease through continuum patient care in primary health care, focusing on cancer control. Malebogo currently works in the Ministry of Health as the manager of Botswana National Cancer Registry within Non Communicable disease program. She has worked at national level in developing policy, strategies and monitoring implementation of various programs within the Disease control division, health promotion and sexual and reproductive health, and worked with various non-governmental organizations such as Cancer association of Botswana in improving and raising priority for Non communicable disease. Currently she is working on improving surveillance and registration of cancer at all levels of care for improved patient care and public health planning.

photo of Miriam Sebego

Miriam Sebego PhD, MNS, RN
I-TECH

Bio

Dr. Miriam Sebego is a Lecturer at the University of Botswana, School of Nursing. She holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York. Miriam also obtained a Master of Nursing Science (MNS) from University of Pennsylvania and Bachelor of Education in Nursing from the University of Botswana. She is currently serving as the Vice Chairperson of the Botswana Hospice and Palliative Care Association (BHPCA), a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Society, and the Botswana Nurses Union. Her research interests are palliative care, family care giving and road traffic Injuries. Miriam has special interest in program development, project management and research.

Kenya

photo of Evaline Langat

Evaline Langat, BSN, MPH
I-TECH

Bio

Evaline Langat holds a Master of Public Health from Flinders University, Australia. She chairs the research coordinating unit within the department of health, Kilifi County where their goal is to provide leadership for the use of evidence based research as an integral component for decision making within the department of health. Her interests lies in the use of research evidence and data in health policy formulations. Evaline has a passion for maternal and child health where apart from conducting researches that influenced maternal health service delivery at the facility level, she has worked as a midwife in a level 4 facility for a period of 5 years.

photo of Drusilla G. M. Makworo

Drusilla G. M. Makworo, BScN, MScN, PhD
Kenyatta National Hospital, Comprehensive Care

Bio

Drusilla Makworo holds a PhD in Pediatric Nursing from the University of Nairobi. She is a paediatric nurse specializing in family centered care. Dr Makworao’s interests are in partnership in care between the healthcare providers, the sick children and their families with a major focus on involvement of siblings and peers in the care of the sick child. Drusilla worked with the Ministry of Health, the Nursing Council of Kenya where she steered the initiation and development of the distance learning programme for the training of nurses in Kenya and also the start of the paediatric training programme for nurses. Dr. Makworo worked with Kenyatta University and currently she is working with Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology where she is the Chair, Department of Community Health Nursing. Further, Dr. Makworo is a fellow with the African Population Health Research Centre (APHRC) and a committed member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Other research interests’ areas include neonatal, child and adolescent health and the care of the people with special needs.

photo of Lilian Mbau

Lilian Mbau, MBChB, MPH, GEMBA-H
AMREF

Bio

Lilian Mbau is a Medical Doctor with extensive experience working in public, private and faith-based institutions. She is a public health practitioner with specialization in epidemiology and disease control. Her area of interest is Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) specifically focusing on developing evidence based interventions to decrease the burden of NCDs in low resource settings. Dr. Mbau currently works with African Medical and Research Foundation in Kenya (AMREF) initially managing a comprehensive HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment project in Kibera. She is now managing a project on hypertension specifically looking at ways to leverage on the existing resources in the HIV program to expand non-communicable disease prevention and treatment in low resource areas. She has also successfully completed a Master Degrees program on Global Executive Master of Business Administration in health (GEMBA- Health) at the United States International University (USIU) where she graduated top in her class. With the shift of focus and disease burden to non-communicable in low resource countries, Dr. Mbau hopes to contribute to increasing the capacity of local global health leaders to manage and reverse this alarming trends.

photo of Samuel K. Ng’arng’ar

Samuel K. Ng’arng’ar, MBChB, MMed
Kenyatta National Hospital, Comprehensive Care Centre

Bio

Dr. Ng’arng’ar holds a Masters Degree in Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health (MMed) from the University of Nairobi. He is a a practicing Sonsultant Paediatrician working with the Ministry of Health in Kenya at the position of Senior Assistant Director of Medical Services currently seconded to Vihiga County government and stationed at the County Referral Hospital. Dr. Ng’arng’ar is a member of the Executive Hospital Management team and deputize the County Hospital in-Charge (medical superintendent). is a member of the Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA) Policy and Advocacy Committee through which they champion child health and peadiatrics issues in the Kenyan healthcare system. He also has interest in operational research and has participated in such studies which are done through a collaboration of the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, Kenya Paediatric Association and some Kenyan public hospitals including Vihiga County Referral Hospital.

Tanzania

photo of Stephen S. Kishinhi

Stephen S. Kishinhi, BSc, MSc, PhD
Ministry of Health, PMCTC program

Bio

Stephen holds a PhD in Environmental Science from Jackson State University. He is a Lecturer at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), and his interest is in environmental factors associated with cancer. Stephen worked at Meharry Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee investigating the role of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) in Breast Progression by validating the AhR as a new predictive clinical marker and a unique target for designing novel selective inhibitors for therapeutic intervention of metastatic breast cancer. Previously Dr. Kishinhi worked in the area of water quality assessment where he established a biomarker in evaluating possible sources of human fecal contamination in Pearl River/Ross Barnett Reservoir and Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mississippi.

photo of Edward Kumakech

Edward Kumakech BSN, MPH, PhD
Ministry of Health, Non-Communicable Disease Program

Bio

Edward Kumakech is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner who gaind PhD degree in Medical Science with specialization in Health and Caring Sciences from Örebro University Sweden. He does research in HIV, HPV and cervical cancer prevention by post-exposure prophylaxis, screening integration and vaccination in Uganda. Dr. Kumakech has worked for Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) in Uganda Multi-Project Office, where he was heavily involved in designing, implementing, operations research and evaluating HPV and cervical cancer prevention through HPV vaccination, cervical precancer screening by VIA and preventive treatment by Cryotherapy and HPV DNA-based cervical cancer screening programs in Africa. As PATH he has provided technical assistance in HPV and cervical cancer prevention by HPV vaccination, screening by VIA and preventive treatment by cryotherapy and HPV DNA testing program design to Ministry of Health of Uganda and other African countries including Rwanda. Before joining PATH, Dr. Kumakech worked as a Lecturer in Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda for 6 years. Dr. Kumakech received his Master of Public Health degree from Lund University Sweden and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Uganda.

photo of Magdalena Lyimo

Magdalena Lyimo, MD, MMed, PhD
Ministry of Health, NACP

Bio

Magdalena Lyimo holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS, before joining graduate school at Darmouth College, USA. For her PhD, she studied HIV pathogenesis and immunology with a focus on mother to child transmission of HIV through breast milk. She works in the Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion in MUHAS where she facilitates the curriculum for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Dr. Lyimo has an interest in transfusion medicine and works closely with the National Blood Transfusion Service in Tanzania. She has been involved in developing of transfusion policy and guidelines as well as research in this area. In addition, Dr. Lyimo is the secretary of the Medical Women’s Association in Tanzania whose main focus is advocating for and provision of health services to women, and the advancement of women health professionals.

photo of Paul Magesa Mashauri

Paul Magesa Mashauri, BSN, MScN
MDH, Dar es Salaam

Bio

Paul Magesa Mashauri holds a Masters of Science in Nursing (MScN) degree from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in Tanzania. He is a general Nurse Practitioner specializing in mental health, and he is interested in global health and providing leadership for change in the health sector. Magesa has worked with the Ministry of Health in a number of activities to mention some he participated in reviewing the Nursing and Midwifery act 2010 and its regulations, reviewed the scheme of service 2009, establishment of intern nurses’ regulation. Magesa is also serving as the president of the Tanzania National Nurses Association for the past three years at voluntary basis through election, in this period several changes in the nursing fraternity has happened including the re-establishment of the directorate of Nursing at the Ministry of Health, active participation of nurses in policy development, unifying nurses with audible voice. Furthermore, Magesa is currently serving as the Head of school of Nurse Teachers also as a board member to represent the East, Central and Southern Africa in the Commonwealth Nurses and Midwifery Federation.

photo of Shally Z. Mwashemele

Shally Z. Mwashemele, MD, MPH
Ministry of Health, PMCTC Program

Bio

Shally Mwashemele is a medical doctor with a Master's Degree in Public Health from Umea University, in Sweden. Her interests lie at the junction of health, systems and technology. She worked with the Emergency Medical Department at Muhimbili National Hospital where she attended to patients with emergency conditions for more than two years. Dr. Mwashemele has been a volunteer to several organizations and currently is a volunteer at Kiota Women Health & Development Association (KIWOHEDE) where she uses her knowledge in health to educate young girls in vulnerable conditions.

Uganda

photo of Irene Biraro-Seguya

Irene Biraro-Seguya, BSN, MPhil
Ministry of Heath, AIDS Control Program

Bio

Irene Biraro-Seguya holds an MPhil HIV/AIDS Management from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton in Kenya. She has over 20 years’ experience working as a nurse in various roles including medical-surgery, staff development, management and leadership in Uganda, Australia, and Botswana. She currently works as Health Systems Strengthening Advisor for the USAID funded Strengthening Uganda’s Systems for Treating AIDS Nationally Project (USAID/SUSTAIN), based in Kampala, Uganda. Her work focuses on enhancing human resource planning and implementing strategies to improve employee engagement. She also supports the hospitals to improve their HR management practices, utilizing quality improvement approaches to improve workforce productivity. She is keenly interested in performance management and finding innovative ways to work with available resources to improve the quality of health service delivery.

photo of Phillip Kasirye Gitta

Phillip Kasirye Gitta, MBchB, MMed
Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Department of Pediatrics

Bio

Phillip Kasirye Gitta holds Masters Degree of Medicine in Paediatrics & Child Health from Makerere University-Kampala, Uganda. He is a Specialist Paediatrician who has worked in several urban and rural, government and nongovernment organization clinical settings. He has specializes in a with a wide range of paediatric disease conditions over the past 9 years including HIV, Malaria, diarrhea and respiratory tract infections, genetic/ hereditary conditions, research and preventive medicine. He currently heads the Mulago Sickle Cell Clinic which is the oldest and largest centre for sickle cell in Uganda. He has participated in many health improvement drives campaigns that have included radio and TV programs on specifically on HIV, sickle cell and hemophilia. He also works as an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Paediatrics at the national referral and teaching hospital, Mulago Hospital. He has also participated in newborn health programs and trained several workers in both rural and urban areas in Uganda.

photo of Stella Zawedde-Muyanja

Stella Zawedde-Muyanja, MBChB, MPH
Infectious Diseases Institute, Research Department

Bio

Stella Zawedde is a Medical Doctor with 12 years experience in public health. She holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree from Mbarara University of Science and Technology and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from Makerere University Kampala, Uganda. Stella has a special interest in Implementation Science and Health Systems Strengthening. She has worked on several projects to improve healthcare delivery for TB, HIV and Malaria both in the public and the private sector in Uganda. Over the past 3 years, she has become particularly interested in improving care processes for patients with tuberculosis and has worked on two different projects to improve TB Case Detection and Treatment in rural Uganda. She has also worked with a project in Kampala that focused on improving access to TB care services for vulnerable populations living in the slum areas of Kampala and four surrounding districts. Dr. Stella managed all these projects and was responsible for designing and overseeing implementation of interventions, human and financial resources management and creating monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

United States

photo of Ogechi James

Ogechi James, BSN, M.B.B.S, MPH
KEMRI/CDC

Bio

Dr. Ogechi James holds a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Johns Hopkins University Maryland, MD degree from the University of Maiduguri Nigeria, an MPH from New York Medical College Valhalla and a Certificate in Global Health delivery Effectiveness from Harvard University Massachusetts. Dr. James practiced as an MD in the Primary Care setting in Nigeria and Libreville Gabon for several years where she was engaged in Health systems comparism, health education, health promotion and disease prevention especially in HIV/AIDS before going into Public health. As the International Program Manager of an NGO, she designed and implemented extensive health promotion, disease prevention and health education awareness programs intended to reduce HIV/AIDS related stigma that still hold people from getting treatment. Dr.James also, started and managed a health care agency that educated people on effective disease management and health promotion. She is interested in the Task Shifting model of the World Health Organization in order to provide care effectively and efficiently in areas that need it most (maternal and child health and HIV/AIDs). She is as well, interested in monitoring and evaluating programs in order to ensure accountability and positive outcome.

photo of Rache Mureau-Haines

Rache Mureau-Haines, DNP, AGNP, ACCNS
KEMRI/CDC

Bio

Rache Mureau-Haines holds a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree from the University of Washington. She is certified as an adult nurse practitioner and critical care clinical nurse specialist. Dr Mureau-Haines has specialized in pain management and delirium prevention and screening. Her interests are in nursing education, and training nurses in implementing evidenced based practice in acute and critical care settings. Dr. Mureau-Haines has also served as an elected officer in the University of Washington Graduate and Professional Student Senate, and as the DNP representative on the School of Nursing Council. Her work there included establishing a mentorship program to foster connections between students and nurses in the community to strengthen nursing visibility.

photo of Joel Njah

Joel Njah, MD, MPH

Bio

Dr. Njah, holds an MD from the University of Yaoundé I and an MPH from the University of Pittsburgh, PA. He has over six years of extensive hospital and community clinical experience working as a primary care physician in Cameroon and as an Obstetrics and Gynecology resident in Zimbabwe. He is currently a PhD candidate in Clinical and Translational Science with appointments as a clinical and translational research associate in the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. His research area of interest is on the role of nano-sized extracellular vesicles in health and disease with a focus on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This is a progressive, debilitating lung disorder of unknown etiology that currently lacks an effective therapy.

photo of Elizabeth “Liz” O’Hara

Elizabeth “Liz” O’Hara, PharmD

Bio

Liz O’Hara holds a Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, and has completed 3 years of clinical residencies. She is a pharmacist specializing in global health, and her interests revolve around community and public health strategies for health systems strengthening. She has worked extensively in Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH), and supply chain management. Liz has practiced in Kenya for the last two years and worked closely with the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) and Pharmacy teams of AMPATH and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH). There she implemented a mobile medication supply for rural clinics, helped expand access to NCD care, as well as worked with novel group care models in both MNCH and NCD management that integrated microfinance, mobile medication and commodities, and health education. In her time with AMPATH she mentored both American and Kenyan students and interns, rounded in the inpatient general wards at MTRH, worked in the anticoagulation and diabetes clinics, and helped grow the Revolving Fund Pharmacy (RFP) model.

2014-2015

Botswana

photo of Gotsang Tshepo Garechaba

Gotsang Tshepo Garechaba, MBChB

Bio

Dr. Garechaba holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa. He works as a Principal Medical Officer in the Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital dealing with a whole range of psychiatric conditions. At Sbrana he has served as the coordinator of the Continuing Medical Education (CME) program. His research interests are related to psychiatric patients and public health issues that are currently ravaging Botswana. He is interested in leadership and is a member of a variety of different committees. He is also the chairperson of the Botswana Junior Doctors Association (BOJUDA). He has used his leadership skills to advocate for changes in administration of calls when junior doctors have done call duties.

photo of Tiny Masupe

Tiny Masupe, MBChB, MPH, MSc

Bio

Dr. Masupe is a Lecturer in the Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Medicine at the University of Botswana (UB). She holds a Bachelor’s of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Cardiff and a MPH and a MSc in Occupational Medicine from the University of Manchester. She has worked extensively as a clinician in internal medicine and family medicine before specializing in public health. Her focus at UB has been teaching public health to both undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) students and occupational health to postgraduate residents specializing in Public Health Medicine. Her subject areas of interest are occupational health, global health care delivery, and quality improvement within health systems through clinical audits and bioethics. She currently has 5 peer reviewed journal publications and 2 conference papers. She holds the following fellowships: Global health care delivery, Harvard School of Public Health, July 2012; Bi-Fogarty Fellowship in intensive course on bioethics and research ethics, John Hopkins University, July 2011; AusAid Fellow: Building health systems research capacity to evaluate and monitor the implementation of the millennium development goals, University of Newcastle, Australia, November 2013.

photo of Bakhola Motswagole

Bakhola Motswagole, RMRN, MPH

Bio

Ms. Motswagole is a nurse by profession and holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Leeds. She joined the Health Training Institutions in 1989 as a Staff Development Fellow and then obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Education. She has taught at basic and post-basic levels. She was the Head of Department for Advanced Diploma in Community Health Nursing. This program graduated four cohorts and the curriculum is now under review with an aim to upgrade it to Degree level. Ms. Motswagole holds a Diploma in Quality Audits and has been very instrumental and resourceful in establishing quality structures. She is currently Deputy Principal at Institute of Health Sciences-Molepolole.

Kenya

photo of Minnie W. Kibore

Minnie W. Kibore, MBChB, MMe

Bio

Dr. Kibore is a pediatrician with an interest in implementation science particularly in the field of Maternal Neonatal and Child Health. She currently works as the University of Washington (UW) program coordinator for the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program in Kenya, a collaborative partnership with the University of Nairobi that aims to develop a multidisciplinary program focused on medical education, capacity building and strengthening of implementation science research in Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) in Kenya. She has previously engaged in clinical research on HIV/AIDS and childhood pneumonia, and research in medical education. She is a part of the team that was awarded a USAID Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research (PEER) grant which is studying the impact of a simulation based training program in emergency obstetric and neonatal care on neonatal mortality.

photo of Merina Lekorere

Merina Lekorere, RN, MPH

Bio

Ms. Lekorere is a professional nurse with a master’s degree in public health; specialized in health promotion and international health. She has also completed courses in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Evidence-Based in Public Health interventions (Japan). Ms. Lekorere worked in a Provincial General Hospital mainly in the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Department and in the HIV &AIDS Comprehensive Care Center (CCC). Currently, she is working in the National AIDS &STI Control Programme (NASCOP) in Kenya. Her duties involve the development of HIV &AIDS policies, training curricula, implementation manuals and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Materials. She trains, mentors and supervises health care workers on HIV &AIDS prevention, care and treatment as well as prepares activity budgets and implements them at the national level. Her main interest is strategic leadership in public health programming informed by evidence.

photo of Nzisa Liku

Nzisa Liku MBChB, BSN, MPH

Bio

Dr. Liku received a Bachelor’s in Medicine from the University of Nairobi, Kenya in 2007 and a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland in 2012. She has worked in both public and private institutions in the Kenyan health system, predominantly in emergency care and general practice. She is the program manager for the Kenya Trauma Registries where she collects data to determine burden of injuries, with a focus on how to improve trauma-related health outcomes and public policy.

photo of Nora Obudho

Nora Obudho, MBChB, MPH

Bio

Dr. Obudho is a public health specialist in HIV programming with a health systems strengthening approach. She is experienced in project cycle management; grant proposal development; HIV technical support; knowledge, policy and advocacy evaluation; and research. She has managed projects funded by USAID, CDC, EU, GF and World Bank. Dr. Obudho has worked as the Deputy Country Director – Programs for Mildmay Kenya (MK); Program Manager/HIV Technical Advisor for Mildmay International Kenya (MIK); Medical Officer – TB/HIV with the International Rescue Committee (IRC); Research Assistant at the Centers for Disease Control and Surveillance/Kenya Medical and Research Institute (CDC/KEMRI); Medical Officer for Ministry of Health (MOH) in Kitale District Hospital and Rift Valley General Provincial Hospital. She attained her Bachelor’s degree of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Nairobi and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Hebrew University, Israel. Other specialized training includes an Executive Health Care Management (EHMP) from Strathmore Business School; Monitoring and Evaluation of Population and Health programs, Population Studies and Research Institute (PSRI) from the University of Nairobi; Gender mainstreaming in health programming- HERAF/KNHRC. Dr. Obudho has also served as a Technical Working group member in various Ministry of Health, HIV-focused working groups.

photo of Edna Tallam

Edna Tallam, BSN, MPH

Bio

Ms. Tallam holds a Master’s of Public Health from Kenyatta University in Kenya and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from University of East Africa, Baraton in Kenya. She is a Senior Nursing Officer working at the Orthopedics Department of Kenyatta National Hospital. She provides nursing care to orthopedic patients, coordinates with health care teams to assess, plan, implement and evaluate patients care plans. She is also engaged in the hospital clinical audits in quality improvements and supervises junior staff and nursing students on clinical placement. In addition, she performs administrative and managerial functions, including budget planning, and facilitates continuous professional development through National Nurses Association of Kenya.

Tanzania

photo of Edward Mgelea

Edward Mgelea, MD, MMed

Bio

Dr. Mgelea received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 2007 and his Master’s degree in Paediatric and Child Health from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2012. He practices as a paediatric physician at Muhimbili National Hospital. His work is focused on leading multiple quality improvement teams to foster quality of care. Dr. Mgelea has over 7 years of clinical experience with concentrations in Maternal and Newborn Care and Paediatrics and Child Health. He previously worked with multiple international partners including Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynaecology and Obstetrics -Tanzania and the Clinton Health Access Initiative-Tanzania as a technical advisor. Currently, he is technical advisor to the Tanzania Health Promotion Support Organization supported by Centres of Disease Control.

photo of Nkundwe Mwakyusa

Nkundwe Mwakyusa, MD, MMed, MPH

Bio

Dr. Mwakyusa is a Medical Doctor with a Master’s of Medicine in Ophthalmology from the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She also holds a Master’s of Public Health from the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She is the Manager of the National Eye Care Program with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Tanzania and has extensive experience in the control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. Dr. Mwakyusa was the Focal Point of the Ministry of Health in the National Trachoma baseline survey, which was conducted from 2004 to 2006 in 50 districts in Tanzania. She also facilitated training of teams consisting of eight health workers each from 43 trachoma endemic districts on Mass Drug Administration with Azithromycin, one of the components of the SAFE strategy for trachoma control (SAFE: S=Surgery to correct in-turned eye lashes, A=Antibiotic for treating active infection, F=Face washing, E=Environmental improvement). Dr. Mwakyusa led the process of developing the first (2004-2008) and the second (2011-2016) National Eye Care Strategic plans as well as the designing of two eye care projects in Tanzania: (a) Strengthening Eye Care Coordination, and (b) Strengthening of Child Eye Health. These two projects have contributed significantly in raising the profile of eye care within the health care system in the country. She has also spearheaded the designing of an eye care services management information system including its incorporation into the National Health Management Information System.

photo of Joan Rugemalila

Joan Rugemalila, MD, MMed, DTM&H

Bio

Dr. Rugemalila is a physician working with the Infectious Diseases Unit, Internal Medicine Department at Muhimbili National Hospital. She graduated from Tumaini University with Doctor of Medicine degree in 2006 and qualified as a specialist in Internal Medicine (MMed) in 2013 from Tumaini Makumira University. She also holds a postgraduate diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Rugemalila has 6 years’ experience working in clinical practice in management of medical cases, supervising junior doctors in the clinical care of inpatients and outpatients in the Internal Medicine Department. She also participates in research. Dr. Rugemalila has a special interest in clinical research addressing challenges of HIV therapy in resource-limited settings.

photo of Adellah Sariah

Adellah Sariah, BSN, MSc

Bio

Ms. Sariah is an Assistant Lecturer in the Faculty of Nursing at Hubert Kairuki Memorial University (HKMU), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She has been involved in classroom and clinical teaching; supervising students during their mental health field work as well as conducting research. She earned her Nursing Degree from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) in 2007. She acquired her MSc Nursing (Mental Health) from the same university in 2012. She is also a fully registered by the Tanzania Nursing and Midwifery Council. Her interests lie in research, policy development, and mental health promotion.

Uganda

photo of Isaac Kigozi

Isaac Kigozi, MBChB, MMed

Bio

Dr. Kigozi is interested in HIV prevention and management. He is specifically interested in program management and research in HIV and in the use of data generated by clinics and programs in Africa to influence clinical care, inform policy and improve health systems in the African setting. He has experience in drug regulation and research and has coordinated studies on alcohol use in HIV, HIV drug adherence as well as working in a busy HIV clinic. His experience has inspired him to develop advanced research skills so that he can help lead Africa towards improved HIV care, prevention and treatment.

photo of Monica Kuteesa

Monica Kuteesa, MBChB, MIPH

Bio

Dr. Kuteesa a Bachelor’s degree in Human Medicine and Surgery from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda and a master’s degree in International Public Health from the University of Sydney, Australia. Dr. Kuteesa has 8 years’ experience in the field of HIV/AIDS with expertise in clinical care, program implementation, operational and scientific research. She has conducted studies focusing on gender mainstreaming in PMTCT programs nationally and HIV and ageing. She has conducted various programmatic assessments for reproductive health, TB, malaria and health system strengthening programs sponsored by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Dr. Kuteesa currently works with the Medical Research Council Uganda/UVRI Research Unit on AIDS as the project leader for the HIV Combination Prevention trial among fisher folk. Her research interests center on the nexus between issues of ageing and HIV, with a focus on age based inequalities in prevention, treatment and care of HIV, access to care and treatment services. She is also interested in HIV prevention among MARPS and underserved populations as well as the association between chronic infections and non-communicable diseases.

photo of Sophie Namasopo

Sophie Namasopo, MBChB, MMed, MPH

Bio

Dr. Namasopo holds a Master’s of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health and a Master’s of Public Health from Makerere University. She is a Hospital Director and Consultant Paediatrician involved in policy implementation, public health delivery, program management, advocacy and leadership. Her interests are paediatric infectious diseases, neonatology, health policy adolescent and global health. Dr. Namasopo worked at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital to establish paediatric HIV clinic, special care unit for preterm babies and an Early Infant Diagnosis Care point for follow up of children born to mothers living with HIV. Dr. Namasopo also supported the newly constructed China Uganda Friendship Hospital-Naguru to establish the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. Currently, in collaboration with researchers from University of Alberta, we are conducting a study on use of Solar Powered Oxygen delivery to children requiring oxygen. We hope this will help to provide life saving oxygen to children in rural areas that are not able to get electricity for oxygen concentrators or with bad roads that make delivery of oxygen cylinders difficult.

United States

photo of Alphoncina J. Kaihura

Alphoncina J. Kaihura, PhD

Bio

Dr. Kaihura received a PhD in Nursing from the University of California San Francisco in 2013. She trained in Tanzania as a registered nurse and midwife from Bugando School of Nursing in 1983, and a Nurse Educator at Muhimbili University of Allied and Health Sciences in 1996. Her research focuses on self-care management of chronic diseases in women living with HIV, especially stigma and quality of life related topics in African women living with HIV. From 1997 to 1998 she was the Principal of Rubya School of Nursing.

photo of Mark Tenforde

Mark Tenforde MD, MPH

Bio

Dr. Tenforde completed his medical school training (MD/MPH) at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. He recently finished residency training in internal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. In medical school, he was involved in HIV education and prevention in Latin America, worked at the GAVI Alliance in Geneva researching vaccine funding mechanisms in low-income countries, and worked with the CDC in Southeast Asia developing a TB infection control package. During residency, his interest continued in TB and HIV. His resident research was in biomarker predictors of incident TB in adults with HIV/AIDS in low- and middle-income countries and included work in Pune, India. He is interested in healthcare delivery systems, disease prevention, and improving disease diagnostics.

photo of Joycelyn Thomas

Joycelyn Thomas, DNP

Bio

Ms. Thomas holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from the University of Washington. She is a nurse practitioner specializing in the care of persons of all ages. Her interests include HIV prevention and care to HIV/AIDS infected individuals, specifically individuals of African descent, pregnant women and children exposed and or infected with HIV/AIDS, and patient provider communication with African Americans. Ms. Thomas worked with the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials at a University of Washington clinical trials site specifically working with seropositive pregnant women and seropositive/exposed infants, children, and youth where she worked to successfully recruit and retain over several years hard to reach populations into NIH clinical trials. For her doctoral project, Ms. Thomas collaborated with a large northwest medical center focusing on improving provider communication with African American patients. As a result of this collaboration, Dr. Thomas developed evidence-based recommendations for implementation into an existing communication-training course for providers to be utilized by the collaborating agency.  

photo of Gift-Noelle Wango

Gift-Noelle Wango, BSN, MPH

Bio

Ms. Wango is a Healthcare Management and Policy-trained Critical Care Registered Nurse. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International, an honor society for excellence in nursing based on academic or professional excellence. Apart from clinical experience, she has experience in supervising roles as a charge nurse and nurse supervisor. Ms. Wango graduated with honors from California State University Northridge and has a Master’s of Public Health degree in Healthcare Management and Policy from University of California, Los Angeles. For her Master's degree project, she had the opportunity to not only learn what Internal Control Systems are, but also evaluated the Internal Control Systems of Impact Research and Development Organization (IRDO), a local Kenyan Non-Governmental Organization. The subsequent report informed decisions made as IRDO made the transition into their proposed newly restructured operations. Ms. Wango's interests are in Project Management, Policy, Quality/Performance Improvement and Health Systems Strengthening.

2013-2014

Botswana

Thandi Katlholo
Ministry of Health, Botswana

Bio

Thandi Katlholo is a Program Officer for the Botswana National TB Program (BNTP) in the Ministry of Health, where she was charged with coordination of social marketing and communication plans to support the Program’s Strategic Plan. Among her achievements was the development and dissemination of the first BNTP Communication Strategy, 2013-2017, which she managed. Thandi has more than seven years experience in public health practice in behavioral change communication with the United Kingdom National Health Service within the Public Health development service and Ministry of Health, Botswana. She also volunteered with George House Trust, UK, an HIV/AIDS support NGO, from 2006 to 2010. Thandi obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2004 and her Master of Science in Public Health and Society from Salford University in 2007 as well as a Certificate in Community Health Training from Blackburn College (2010). Thandi’s interests include program development; behavioral change communication programs and public health policy development.

Onalenna Seitio-Kgokgwe
Ministry of Health, Botswana

Bio

Onalenna is currently based at the Botswana Ministry of Health headquarters, where she supports the development and implementation of the Health Leadership and Management Development Program (HLMDP). HLMDP is a CDC funded program designed to strengthen leadership capacity at various levels of the health system in order to improve health outcomes at a system level. Prior to this assignment, she functioned in various capacitities in the public health sector including lecturer, head of the department for the Family Nurse Practitioner Program, and Deputy Prinicipal at the Institue of Health Sciences-Gaborone, where she was overseeing curriculum implementation for 8 mutlidisciplinary health training programs. Onalenna is a graduate of the University of Botswana (BSn), Johns Hopkins University, USA (MSn), University of Limpopo, South Africa (MPH), and University of Otago, New Zealand (PhD). Her primary research interest lies in the area of health sector reforms and health system performance.  

Rose Sianga
Ministry of Health, Botswana

Bio

Rose Motlalepula Sianga is a Head of Department for the General Nursing Programme at Kanye SDA College of Nursing in Botswana. She is also a registered nurse & midwife and is one of the few Child health nurses in the country. Ms. Sianga obtained her Bachelor of Nursing education from the University of Botswana in 1992 and her Master of Nursing (Child Health) from The Flinders University of South Australia, in 1998. She has a total of 29 years of experience in nursing, including 21 years as a Nurse-Educator. Ms. Sianga has been involved in both classroom and clinical teaching and has taught courses such as Parent and Child health Nursing, Child Health Nursing, Leadership and Management, Family Assessment, and Research. She has also served in various functional committees of the college, including the Institutional Research Review Board, the Research and Publication Committee, and the Examinations Committee. For the past 6 years she has served as a board member of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana, and she has also been involved in the Workplace Violence Prevention Project, which is run by the Nurses Association of Botswana, as one of the District Team Leaders.  She is very interested in strengthening her skills in research and policy development.

Kenya

Patrick Mburugu,
Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya

Bio

Patrick M. Mburugu is a consultant paediatrician at Garissa Provincial General Hospital in the Northeast Province of Kenya, where he has served since 2011. He earned his Paediatrics and Child Health specialty from the University of Nairobi (MMed), where he currently serves as adjunct faculty in the College of Health Sciences. He participates in a variety of activities, including clinical work, teaching, research and mentorship. Dr. Mburugu has special interest in program development and implementation, health innovations and research. He hopes to participate in program development and facilitate innovations that will improve health outcomes and shape health policy throughout the region.

Mary Matilu
AMREF, Kenya

Bio

Mary Inziani Matilu is a research officer at the Kenya Medical Research institute (KEMRI), and working towards her specialist registration as a pediatrician at Mbagathi District Hospital. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery and a master’s degree in Medicine, Pediatrics and Child health from the University of Nairobi. She also holds a master’s degree in Tropical Medicine from Nagasaki University, Japan. She has eleven years of experience in clinical medicine. Mary is an early career scientist at the Centre for Virus Research at KEMRI. Her interests are in infectious diseases, especially pediatric HIV and arbovirus research. Currently, she is practices clinical medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at Mbagathi District Hospital where she trains and mentors junior doctors, clinical officers, nurses and nutritionists. She is a co-PI on a proposal seeking to determine factors that hinder adherence to treatment for children with clubfoot, a study that will be funded with seed money by the Micro-Research group. Mary is also involved in developing a protocol for a study that will assess innate immune functions in children with moderate acute malnutrition during nutritional recovery. Through participation in the Afya Bora Fellowship, she hopes to form networks and collaborations, as she establishes her research and mentoring career.

Samson Mugane
Family Health International (FHI), Kenya

Bio

Dr. Mugane is a Paediatrician working with the Kenyan Ministry of Health. He is currently stationed in Mwingi District Hospital, where he has been working for nearly three years. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Mugane has much experience in hospital administration and leadership. He served as Medical Superintendent of the hospital for a period of one and half years from October 2011 to May 2013. During his tenure, he was credited with forging strong partnerships with NGOs and other partner organizations working in the health sector. These collaborations have led to improved service delivery in the facility and recognition of the hospital as a Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS Care by the International Center for Aids Care Program (ICAP). Prior to his work at Mwingi District Hospital, he served as Medical Officer in-charge of a hospital and later as District Medical Officer for 3 years, where he was responsible for overseeing health services in Tigania West District. His interests lie in project management and clinical and operational research.   

Caroline Kosgei
Ministry of Health, National AIDS & STI Control Program (NASCOP), Kenya

Bio

Dr. Kosgei is a paediatrician practicing at Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. She graduated from Moi University, Eldoret, in 2004 with an MBChB and subsequently completed a yearlong internship at Kenyatta National Hospital. She then began working with the Academic Model for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV (AMPATH) at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital for three years. Thereafter, she pursued her Master of Medicine (MMed) degree in Pediatrics and Child Health. Her main interests currently are in paediatric HIV.

Richard Cherutich
Centers for Disease Control, Nairobi, Kenya

Bio

Richard Cherutich currently serves as a Nursing Officer working at Kenyatta National Teaching and Referral Hospital (KNH), where he coordinates research and mentors junior research colleagues. He holds a Master’s in Public Health from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Aga Khan University – Kenya campus. In addition, he has undertaken training and short courses in Principles of HIV research at the University of Nairobi, Clinical Management of HIV from the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington, and Fundamentals of Project Management from the organization Project Management for Development Organizations. Since 2009, Richard has been involved in array of tasks, including analysis and written reports concerning voluntary testing and counseling and clinical audits and policy changes at KNH. He also has taken part in orientating and mentoring the newly posted staff, coordinating and facilitating continuous education and professional development among the staff in seminars/workshops, and writing standard operating procedures and research protocols. Richard’s main interests are in HIV/AIDS, disease control, epidemiology and the use of computer technologies in health care and research.

Tanzania

Noor Ramadhani
Management and Development for Health (MDH), Tanzania

Bio

Dr. Ramadhani Abdallah Noor is a physician with a background in Public Health. Noor is currently working as a Research Associate with the Africa Academy for Public Health (AAPH), a partner organization to Management Development for Health (MDH) in Tanzania. In this position, he manages a clinical trial unit for the Harvard School of Public Health’s (HSPH) collaborative trials, focusing mostly on Malaria prevention. He studied Public Health at HSPH and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is internationally certified by the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP, USA), demonstrating his ability to be actively involved in clinical trial sites, development, coordination, and leading international research consortia. He has worked as a coordinator and manager of various integrated projects focusing on health research; Noor has acquired capacity and capabilities to manage tightly regulated multi-centered international trials in Africa, in conformity with applicable international standards. Previously, he served as a research associate with the Departments of Nutrition and, later, Global Health & Population at the Harvard School of Public Health. He has experience in Nutrition, Vaccinology, Malaria, TB and HIV-related research. 

Alfred Meremo
AMREF, Tanzania

Bio

Alfred Meremo is a lecturer in the Internal Medicine Department at School of Medicine at University of Dodoma (UDOM) in Tanzania. In his current position, he is involved in teaching, supervising elective studies and offering bedside teaching to medical students, as well as conducting research. He also heads the UDOM Haemodialysis Unit and conducts ward rounds and manages specialty clinics at the UDOM Medical Center. He earned his medical degree (MD) from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2008.  He acquired his Internal Medicine specialty (MMed) from the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2012 and is fully registered as specialist physician with the Medical Council of Tanganyika. Her research interests include infectious diseases, especially HIV and STDs, and Global Health research ethics.Her research interests include infectious diseases, especially HIV and STDs, and Global Health research ethics.Her research interests include infectious diseases, especially HIV and STDs, and Global Health research ethics.His research interests include Nephrology and Infectious Diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria.

Benedicta Masanja
Ministry of Health, Tanzania

Bio

Benedicta Masanja is the Technical Director at Tanzania Health Promotion Support (THPS), an indigenous Tanzanian NGO which supports the Government of Tanzania, through the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in delivering comprehensive quality HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment services currently in Pwani and Mtwara regions. She provides technical guidance and oversees clinical HIV and AIDS care, including adult and paediatric HIV care and treatment, pharmacy and laboratory systems, reproductive and child health, namely PMTCT and Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV. Additionally, she supervises cervical cancer screening, adherence and psychosocial support, and tuberculosis/HIV and monitoring and evaluation. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree in 2001 from the University of Dar es Salaam and qualified as a specialist in Internal Medicine (MMed) during 2008 at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). Benedicta also holds a Masters in Public Health Methodology from Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium. She has over 10 years experience within the health sector in Tanzania and has worked in various capacities in rural and urban settings to promote health through clinical and public health work. She initially managed the first PMTCT Plus program in Mbeya, one of the first regions in Tanzania to implement a PMTCT program. Before joining THPS, Benedicta served as Senior Technical Officer for Quality Improvement of Clinical Services with Family Health International (now FHI360), where one of her primary efforts was a Quality Improvement program to strengthen the continuum of care for HIV/AIDS patients.

Joshua Garrison
Management and Development for Health (MDH), Tanzania

Bio

Dr. Joshua is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologyist with a background in Public Health, serving with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Tanzania. He was educated at three different universities in Tanzania, including the Hubert Kairuki Memorial University (MD), International Medical and Technological University (MPH) and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MMed-OB/GYN). He serves in a Ministry of Health attachment post at Machame Hospital in the Kilimanjaro Region of Northern Tanzania were he is a Program Manager for the HIV/AIDS control program and a Clinician in the OB/GYN Ward. Dr. Joshua is also a full time lecturer at Machame Clinical Officers’ Training College. 

Uganda

Cordelia Katureebe
Ministry of Health, Uganda

Bio

Cordelia Katureebe-Mboijana is a Paediatrician with 12 years of experience in HIV/AIDS care with expertise in the areas of PMTCT, early infant diagnosis, pediatric and Adolescent HIV care and ART. She has engaged in program planning, implementation, and monitoring for PMTCT and Peadiatric HIV programs. She received her MBChB from Mbarara University of Science and Technology and Masters of Medicine (Pediatrics and Child Health) from Makerere University in Uganda. She also holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Trials from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is currently working as a Senior Technical Advisor for EMTCT and Peadiatric HIV with the SUSTAIN project, a USAID funded project supporting 16 public hospitals in Uganda in comprehensive HIV care and treatment. Here, she provides strategic technical guidance for strengthening hospital health systems for the successful implementation of EMTCT and Peadiatric HIV services in line with the National standards as well as leading quality improvement initiatives and operations research. She also carries with her experience in training, mentoring and developing of clinical protocols and has served as a national trainer and member of the National EID sub-committee.

Tom Ngabirano,
Infectious Disease Institute, Research Department

Bio

Tom Ngbairano is a lecturer in the Department of Nursing at the Makerere University College of Health Sciences.  Tom has also worked at Program for Accessible Health, Communication and Education (PACE) in the Women’s Health Program. At PACE, he coordinated a Reproductive Health Program in 13 districts of central Uganda, which trained Health Workers in long-term methods of family planning. Through this program, family planning services were availed to thousands of women, especially those in semi-urban and rural areas.  Tom is a specialist in adult health Nursing and has had additional trainings in Public Health Leadership, Health Systems Research, and Family Planning. Tom is interested in conducting research to determine the psychosocial adaptation and coping abilities in persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and how these abilities can be enhanced to improve the quality of life of PLWHA. He is also interested in developing tools for use in health sciences research and teaching.

Dan Senjovu
Infectious Disease Institute, Training Department

Bio

Dan Senjovu is a senior medical doctor at the Infectious Diseases Institute where he is responsible for steering institutional development and the coordination of trainings. He has more than 5 years of training in malaria and HIV, and he is also a project manager for a health system strengthening project that is purposed to improve the capacity of mid-level health practitioners to properly manage TB and HIV. He previously served as the medical superintendent of a district hospital and a health coordinator in refugee settlement. He is an international trainer and has been involved in policy formulation on integrating the use malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests in the routine service delivery.  He is interested in system strengthening research and entrepreneurship.

Hilda Tibenderana
PEPFAR, UPDF ART Program

Bio

Hilda Tibenderana earned her MBChB from Mbarara University in 2001 and her MPH from Melbourne University, Australia, in 2008. She is currently working as a Senior Program officer with Research Triangle Institute International (RTI). RTIs activities are aimed at increasing access to and utilization of comprehensive HIV care and treatment services among Ugandan military personnel and their families. She supports the planning, budgeting, implementation and evaluation of a number of program activities at RTI. She is also involved in capacity building, health system strengthening and quality improvement initiatives. Hilda has also been involved in HIV/AIDS research activities and has presented her findings at both local and international forums.

United States

Olivia Bahemuka
Ministry of Health, Uganda

Bio

Olivia Bahemuka received her Doctor of Nursing (DNP) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and has been employed at UAB Hospital in the capacity of the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for Hematology-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant. She has expertise in nursing practice and nursing education, including staff development and patient education. She has also been involved in nursing leadership, administration, preceptor development and nursing mentorship programs in the inpatient setting at various hospitals. As a CNS she has managed, trained and developed nurses at the bedside in evidence-based practice and process improvement projects. While at the North Carolina Area Health Education Center Program, she worked to develop a regional curriculum for continuing nursing education and was also involved in grant management and community program development. She has led numerous interdisciplinary medical teams to work on a voluntary basis in Uganda for over 15 years, starting from her nursing school days. She has held positions on the North Carolina Nurses Association, Central Alabama Chapter Oncology Nurses Association (CACONS) and has served one term as board member on the Uganda North American Association (UNAA) national board. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Society, Transcultural Nursing Society, American Nurses Association, and the Healthcare Educators of Alabama (HEAL).

Alexander Billioux
Ugandan Virus Research Institute/RAKA

Bio

Alex is a physician with an interest and experience in public health and human rights work. He has worked in India, Haiti, Guatemala, and South Africa, and his research has ranged from studying HIV-related stigma amongst rural and urban Indian men to TB surveillance through post-mortem case finding in South Africa. He completed medical school and the Osler Internal Medicine Residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to his medical training, he conducted his doctoral research on tumor growth factors and chaperone proteins at the University of Oxford, through the Marshall Scholarship. Through the Afya Bora Fellowship, Alex hopes to gain experience in working with ministries of health and donors to scale up and evaluate effective public health projects.

Kristen Hosey
I-TECH, Kenya and ESACON, Kenya

Bio

Dr. Hosey is a Fellow with the Afya Bora Consortium in global health leadership. She received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice in Community Health Nursing at the University of Washington in 2013, and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2007 from UNC Charlotte. She is an experienced nurse educator, and has demonstrated leadership in policy and advocacy through her appointment as the Secretary of the University of Washington Graduate Student Senate and as the Vice President of the University Bookstore Board of Trustees. Dr. Hosey is currently working in Kenya with I-TECH on the development and implementation of a gender-based violence information system.

2012-2013

Botswana

Mabel Magowe
I-Tech Botswana

Bio

Mabel Magowe is a lecturer and coordinator for the integration of HIV and AIDS into UB curricula in the School of Nursing at the University of Botswana (UB). She conducts workshops for lecturers in HIV/AIDS content and in curriculum integration to enable them to integrate and teach relevant HIV/AIDS content in their respective programmes. Dr. Magowe obtained a Diploma in General Nursing (1979) and Midwifery (1980), a Bachelor of Nursing Education (1986), Master of Nursing Science with specialty in Midwifery (1992), and a PhD in Nursing (2008) with research focus on HIV prevention and behavior change. Her dissertation focused on development and psychometric evaluation of instruments on safer sex communication for young Botswana women and their male sexual partners. She is currently involved in a risk reduction and HIV/STI and Pregnancy prevention intervention for adolescents in Botswana, which replicates a “Being a Responsible Teen” (BART) intervention that worked for adolescents in the US.

Ludo Nkhwalume
I-Tech Botswana

Bio

Ludo K. Nkhwalume is the Head of Department for the General Nursing program in the Institute of Health Sciences Francistown in Botswana. She holds a Master of Philosophy in International Community Health from the University of Oslo and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Howard University in Washington DC. Ludo has worked for over 12 years in Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital as a Registered Nurse-Midwife up to 1999; there after she joined the Institute of Health Sciences Francistown as a Lecturer to date. As Head of Department, her responsibilities include ensuring that all programmes are planned for, implemented and evaluated in accordance with the Ministry of Health‘s policies and goals in order to meet the set targets within the National Development Plan.

Vincent Setlhare
Ministry of Health

Bio

Vincent Setlhare received his MD from the University of Dar es Salaam and interned at Princess Marina Hospital in Botswana. After internship, Dr. Setlhare set up a private practice in rural Botswana providing primary health care. He then received his Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Botswana. Later he enrolled as a Family Medicine resident at the University of the Witwatersrand. During this time, the HIV/AIDS epidemic became fully blown in Botswana, and it inspired Dr. Setlhare to choose the research topic “The experiences of people living with HIV/AIDS” for his Masters degree. Two years ago, Dr. Setlhare joined the University of Botswana School of Medicine, where he is currently the Acting Head of the Department of Family Medicine.

Neo Tamuhla
Ministry of Health

Bio

Neo Tamuhla is from Botswana, and is a nurse by profession (General Nursing and Midwifery) and has a Master’s of Public Health Degree. Neo Tamuhla currently works for Botswana-UPenn Partnership as a Programme Research Coordinator for Bisson Studies, and has recently been given the position of BUP Research Compliance Officer.

Kenya

Amos Ayunga
Kenyatta National Hospital, CCC

Bio

Dr. Amos Ayunga is a consultant physician at Garissa Provincial Hospital, and has been working with the Ministry of Health in Kenya since completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Nairobi in 2002. He also holds a Masters degree in internal medicine which he completed in 2009. He has been adjunct faculty for the University of Nairobi students rotating through the hospital under the programme of PRIME-K, and teaches at Mt Kenya University on a part-time basis. Dr. Amos is interested in sub-specializing in international public health and carrying out major international research programmes on HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases.

Angeline Chepchirchir
Family Health International

Bio

Angeline Chepchirchir is a lecturer at the school of Nursing Sciences, University of Nairobi. She completed her undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) in 2000 and Master’s degree in Medical Microbiology in 2007, both from the University of Nairobi. She is a nurse practitioner, trainer and researcher. Angeline has a wide exposure in research methods through training, academic work and community diagnosis. She has been involved in teaching and supervision of students for the last seven (7) years to include clinical work, community diagnosis and research projects. Angeline has undertaken research in the fields of mycology (superficial fungal infections), intimate partner violence, nursing informatics, and community awareness on vesico vaginal fistula. Her interest is to build on the scientific research skills and to undertake quality research to improve health outcomes and shape policy.

Harun Kimani
Ministry of Health Kenya, NASCOP

Bio

Harun Kimani is a lecturer in the School of Public Health in Kenyatta University, Kenya where he teaches community health and biostatistics to medical students. He is also a graduate student in the Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases (ITROMID) at JKUAT. His PhD thesis is entitled ‘Determinants of delivery by skilled birth attendants: A cohort study of pregnant women in Mbooni district’. Kimani studied medicine in Nairobi University between 1987 and 1992 and did a Masters in Public Health at Moi University in 2000. He has worked for many years in the ministry of health in Kenya rising to the level of District Medical Officer of Health. Kimani is interested in designing affordable maternal health programmes in resource poor setting, and his research interest is in the area of maternal health.

Koki Muli–Kinagwi
AMREF-Kenya, HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria Programme

Bio

Koki Muli-Kinagwi is a medical doctor with over 11 years experience in health care. She also holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Nairobi. She works with the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF), the largest non-governmental health organization based in Africa, as the Kenyan HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria programme manager providing administrative and technical leadership and management of projects. Prior to this she was the project manager for the CDC-funded Kibera HIV prevention, care and treatment project based in the Kibera slums of Nairobi. She also previously worked as the director of AfriAfya- a Kenyan health knowledge management organization. Koki has experience in project management and leadership as well as knowledge management and documentation. Her interests are in programme management and health systems strengthening.

Dennis Magu
Family Health International

Bio

Dennis Gichobi Magu is a researcher and trainer at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI). Dr. Magu graduated from Aga Khan University-Hospital in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and in 2009 completed a Master’s Degree in Public Health at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in collaboration with Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases (ITROMID). In 2012 he received his Ph.D. in Epidemiology from JKUAT. As a trained researcher he has conducted nationally funded collaborative surveys (such as Kenya National Micro Nutrient Survey (KNMS) and substance abuse and sexual risky related behaviors among the youth in Kenya) and worked in HIV research, presenting findings and publications in international forums and conferences. In addition, Dr. Magu is an accredited Trainer of Trainers by Ministry for Public Health and sanitation in Kenya, having trained students on HIV epidemiology and research.

Winnie Mwangi
CDC Kisumu, Malaria in Pregnancy Division

Bio

Winfred Mwangi is an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. Dr. Mwangi graduated from Moi University with an MBChB in Medicine and Surgery and completed a Masters in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Nairobi in 2011. She presented her thesis entitled “Utility of surrogate markers for CD4 Count among HIV infected pregnant women in western Kenya” at the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) conference in 2011. Currently, Dr. Mwangi is involved in offering clinical care, including ART for pregnant women and cancer of cervix screening and treatment for HIV positive women, through the AMPATH program. She is an honorary Lecturer at the Moi University School of Medicine. Her research interests include infectious diseases, especially HIV and STDs, and Global Health research ethics.

Tanzania

Mathias Issuja
Ministry of Health Tanzania, NACP

Bio

Mathias Abuya is the country director of Jesse Rhode Foundation in Tanzania and a pediatrics complex manager at Shirati Hospital in Mara region -Tanzania. He is the clinical instructor at the department of Pediatrics Health and HIV/AIDS counseling. Mathias has 3 years of professional experience in HIV/AIDS and TB case management and over five years of community health education. That is inclusive of providing technical assistance for leadership, strategic planning on hospital development and monitoring & evaluation for medical nursing students as well as medical doctors’ education programs as interns or exchange program students from the United State of America (Touro University). He holds a Masters of Public Health from the International Medical and Technological University (2011), Bachelor of Science in Medicine from Hubert Kairuki Memorial University (2009), and Diploma in Clinical Medicine from Mvumi College of Clinical Medicine Dodoma (2002).

Jairy Khanga
AMREF Tanzania, Monitoring & Evaluation Division

Bio

Jairy Khanga works for Mbeya City Council as a Medical Officer in charge of the city hospital. Dr. Khanga has over 10 years of experience in health management system and service delivery in the areas of human resource management, financial management, health planning and coordination, monitoring and evaluation, program management and training. He also has experience in working with government and non-government organizations in various management aspects such as Reproductive and Child Health, OVC programs, CTC for HIV/AIDS, CBDA for family planning methods and Monitoring and Evaluation. Dr Khanga holds a Master of Public Health degree from Tumaini University, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical College, Tanzania and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from International Medical and Technological University based in Dar es Salaam. He also has a certificate in Family Planning Service Provision from Exeter University in United Kingdom, and Leadership Skills studied in Tanzania.

Angela Ramadhani
Benjamin Mkapa HIV/AIDS Foundation

Bio

Dr. Ramadhani is a Medical doctor and a Public Health specialist, with more than fifteen (15) years working experience in the Health sector. She has spent ten years working in the area of HIV and AIDS and Reproductive and Child Health Section in The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW). For the past 18 months she has been the Programme Manager for the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) where she is leading the health sector response to HIV and AIDS. Prior to joining the NACP she spent 8 years in PMTCT work, where she was the first National Coordinator for Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV Services (PMTCT).

Hellen Siril
MUHAS-MDH

Bio

Hellen Neema Siril is a Public Health Evaluations Coordinator in the department of strategy information at the Management and Development for Health (MDH) organization. Dr. Siril graduated from Mbarara University of Science and Technology-Uganda with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) in 2004. She then worked as a physician in Uganda before moving to Tanzania to work as a HIV care clinic manager and a study physician. In 2008 she completed a Master’s degree in Public Health at Harvard School of Public Health with a thesis work titled “Modeling of Pandemic flue Boston USA.” Later, she joined the MDH HIV care program in Tanzania as a health care quality improvement program manager, then switched to head a new unit of Public Health Evaluations. Dr. Siril has over 5 years experience of clinical management of HIV infected patients, research and health care quality improvement approaches. Dr. Siril is interested in public health systems reform in developing countries.

Uganda

Joel Bazira
Infectious Disease Institute

Bio

Joel Bazira is a researcher, Clinical Microbiologist and Senior Lecturer in the department of Microbiology in the faculty of Medicine at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. He holds an MBChB and PhD in Molecular Epidemiology of Tuberculosis from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda, as well as a Master of Medicine in Microbiology/Immunology from University of Dar es Salaam. Dr. Bazira is a recipient of a German Academic Exchange Scholarship (DAAD) in 2006, a World Health Organization/ Tropical Disease Training grant (which funded his PhD study) in 2007, and an HIV research Trust Fellowship in 2008 to study methods of improving diagnosis of tuberculosis among HIV infected individuals.

Peter Elyanu
Ministry of Health Uganda

Bio

Peter Elyanu is a pediatrician with 11 years experience as a doctor and 5 years experience in planning, implementing and monitoring Paediatric HIV/AIDs programs at the health facility, district, and national levels. He received his Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery and Masters of Medicine (Pediatrics and Child Health) from Makerere University in Kampala. Currently, Dr. Elyanu provides strategic and technical leadership and guidance at national level for strengthening systems to scale-up paediatric HIV/AIDS care and treatment. He is also highly experienced in training and mentoring facility teams and health care workers on various health initiatives.

Christine Mugasha
Infectious Disease Institute, Outreach Department

Bio

Christine Mugasha is a paediatrician working at Infectious Disease Institute in the outreach department. The outreach department houses projects focusing on health systems strengthening and capacity building for local governments and community based organizations. She supports grant writing, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The main technical areas she supports include paediatric care and treatment, as well as PMTCT.

Charles Osingada
Ministry of Health Uganda

Bio

Charles Osingada is Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Nursing at Makerere University College of Health Sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from Makerere University and Master of Arts in Bioethics from Case Western Reserve University. In January 2012, he obtained a Master of Public Health from Makerere University. His dissertation was on determinants of malaria prevalence among pregnant women in two sub-counties of Kumi district in Uganda. Charles Osingada has served as a Head of Department of Nursing at Makerere University and has taught in the same department for eight years. He is also a member of the Bioethics Working Group- an association of Ugandans trained in bioethics. He has participated in conducting trainings in research and clinical ethics. Charles has special interest in the areas of program design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

United States

Jaclyn Hagon
I-TECH Botswana

Bio

Jaclyn Hagon received her Master's degree from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 2012. As part of the Advanced Practice Public Health Nurse specialty, Jaclyn honed her interest in infectious diseases through completing an academic minor and clinical residency in HIV/AIDS care, as well as participating in malaria research in Zanzibar, Tanzania. As a Master's student she assisted in the development of a community-based HIV medication adherence program. She has also spent time working globally in Guatemala, Haiti and Tanzania. These experiences have shaped her specific interests in global health, which include program development and evaluation addressing infectious diseases. In addition to academics, Jaclyn has worked for the last four years as a clinical nurse in the emergency department.

Jason Madrano
I-TECH Kenya

Bio

Jason Madrano holds a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree from the University of Washington. He is a community health nurse specializing in cross-cultural and global health, and his interests lie at the intersection of health, technology, and policy. Jason worked with the city and county health department to plan, implement, and evaluate a number of programs on text messaging (SMS), including vaccination reminders, employee communications, emergency messages for the Deaf community, and treatment and appointment reminders for the county TB clinic. Dr. Madrano also managed a database to track patients for a community primary care clinic serving uninsured patients. He used the database to create clinical treatment reminders, as well as monitoring and evaluation of health, disease, and treatment measures at the patient and the clinic levels.

2011-2012

Botswana

Onalenna Lemo, BSN, MS, MPA

Bio

Onalenna Lemo is employed by the Nurses Association of Botswana as Project Coordinator for the Care of the Carers Program funded by BOTUSA through the CDC. The program coordinates and trains health care workers in the formation of support groups to promote and enhance their wellbeing. She holds an MSc in Community Health Nursing from Wayne State University (USA). During this period of study, Onalenna worked as a volunteer for the Junior League of Detroit at the Detroit AIDS Consortium. In 2009, she completed an MPA from the University of Botswana. She taught at the National Health Institute for 17 years were she has developed some of the crop of nursing leaders, was later deployed to head the Health Manpower Recruitment, Deployment and Utilisation Unit of the Ministry of Health for five years. She moved to the Performance Improvement Unit of the Ministry of Health were she took up the position of Deputy Performance Improvement Coordinator installing and monitoring systems for national health care delivery in Botswana. Onalenna’ scholarly interests are in strategic management and leadership, health policy, and primary health care.

Hildah Molate, BSN, MPH

Bio

Hildah Molate is a Senior Nursing Officer in Princess Marina Hospital (Botswana Government-Ministry of Health) and has been a nurse for the past 18 years, specializing in Community Mental Health (Psychiatric) Nursing. Hildah holds a Master’s of Public Health, from Curtin University of Technology (Australia), a Bachelor of Nursing Science (University of Botswana), Post-graduate Diploma in Community Mental Health and a Diploma in General Nursing (University of Botswana). Hildah Molate currently heads the Psychiatric Unit in Princess Marina Hospital and a member of the performance improvement committee, which oversees the overall performance in the hospital and spearheading the accreditation process of Princess Marina Hospital with the Council of Health Services Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA). Hildah’s scholarly interest is in international health.

Opelo M. Rankopo, BSN, MSN

Bio

Ms. Rankopo is a Clinical Practice Officer at the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana, Ministry of Health. She is a nurse with extensive experience in clinical practice at primary health care and tertiary care levels. She received both Master and Bachelor of Nursing degrees from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia; diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery respectively from Institute of Health Sciences in Gaborone. Ms. Rankopo served ten years in the public service, two years in a government-aided facility, and six in the private sector. She worked in clinics and hospitals before joining the training institute working as a Nurse Lecturer. In 2004, she worked as a Clinical Data Coordinator responsible for collecting, editing, retrieving, and analyzing clinical data in an HIV/AIDS clinic (Botswana Baylor Children’s Clinical Centre of Excellence). In 2008, Ms. Opelo Rankopo joined the Ministry of Health at the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Botswana as a clinical practice officer responsible for the establishment and enforcement of policies, procedures and standards for nursing and midwifery practice in Botswana.

Lillian Lemo Segwagwe, BSN, MS

Bio

Lillian Lemo Segwagwe works as Head of the Department for Family Nurse Practice Program at Kanye SDA College of Nursing in Botswana. After completing her diploma in General Nursing in 1986, she went to Gaborone Institute of Health Sciences to pursue her Diploma in Midwifery. Ms. Segwagwe graduated in July 1987 and worked at Kanye SDA Hospital as a Registered Nurse. She served as an Assistant Lecturer at Kanye SDA College of Nursing from September 1988 to July 1991. In 1991 she went to Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia for her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and minor in Education; graduated in 1993 and joined Francistown Institute of Health as a Lecturer. In 1995 she went back to do a Master of Science in Nursing and minor in Education. She is an adult health generalist and she can function as a clinical specialist and also as a nurse practitioner. Her training also prepared her to work as a case manager. After graduation, she returned to Francistown Institute of Health for two years and then returned to Kanye SDA College of Nursing where she was given a post of Senior Lecturer. Heading the General Nursing Program for seven years, Segwagwe was assigned to pioneer the Family Nurse Practice Program in 2005. Apart from working as Head of Department, she actively provides direct care to patients in primary healthcare settings. She has also served as a Chairperson of Registration Committee for Botswana Nursing and Midwifery Council for three years from 2007 to 2009. Her dream is to pursue Doctorate in Management or Public Health.

Kenya

Sarah Bett, BSc, MPH, MSc Nursing

Bio

Sarah Bett is a nursing officer at Kenyatta National Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya. She worked as a staff nurse at various hospitals including Aga Khan University Hospital and Nairobi Hospital before completing her Master’s in Public health at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. In addition, she completed a Master’s of Science in Nursing (Pediatric) in 2009 from the University of Nairobi. At Kenyatta, she is responsible for clinical teaching for the students, and coordinating continuous medical education, research, and clinical audit in the pediatric department, as well as unit management. Sarah’s main interest is pediatrics, public health and epidemiology.

James M. Gitau, MBChB, MMed

Bio

James Gitau graduated from Moi University in 2001 with a degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB). He was posted to Nakuru Provincial Hospital in the same year to fulfill his one-year statutory internship requirement before full registration by the Medical Board in Kenya. In 2002, he moved onto Lodwar District Hospital in Northern Kenya as a medical officer where he stayed until 2004. He subsequently joined the University of Nairobi to pursue studies leading to a Master’s degree in 2008 in Pediatric Medicine. James then went to Garissa Provincial Hospital in North Eastern Kenya as a pediatrician. He has a major interest in research and is keen to uphold evidence-based medicine as the key to providing quality healthcare.

Lucy Kabare, MBChB, MMed

Bio

Lucy Kabare is a consultant obstetrician, gynecologist, and honorary lecturer at the University of Nairobi. She was educated at the University of Nairobi where she received both MBChB and MMed in Obstetrics and Gynecology and also earned a postgraduate diploma in STI there. She has worked as a medical officer for six years in various hospitals. She is currently working toward a PhD in Public Health at the Jomo Kenyatta University. Her scholarly interest is in reproductive health.

Eddah Karijo, BSc Nursing, MPH

Bio

Eddah Karijo is a nursing officer at Kenyatta National, Teaching, and Referral Hospital where she has worked since 2006. In 2006, Eddah resigned from the Nairobi Hospital where she had served as a clinical trainer to nursing students and a preceptor to newly employed nurses in Maia Cabbery Floor (MCF) since 2005. Eddah worked at Consolata Mission Hospital and was responsible for managing both the medical and maternity wards. Eddah successfully implemented the PMTCT project by Catholic Medical Mission Board at Consolata Mission Hospital. Eddah studied community health nursing at St. Luke’s School of Nursing and a received a Higher Diploma in HIV/AIDS management and control at Kenyatta University. Eddah received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Aga Khan University and then enrolled in a Master’s degree in Public Health (Monitoring and Evaluation) at Kenyatta University. Eddah has conducted a research in PMTCT and has been involved in a Baseline survey of maternal newborn child health (MNCH) with AMREF. Her current thesis is on “Data quality from the health management information system”. Eddah’s scholarly interests include HIV/AIDS and health information systems.

Nerry J. Kittur, BSc Nursing, MPH

Bio

Nerry Kittur is currently a nursing officer coordinating infection prevention and control activities at Kenyatta National Hospital. She previously served at the Department of Surgery as a training coordinator between 2004 and 2009 in the same institution. Nerry holds a Master’s in Public Health from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing from University of Eastern Africa, Baraton. She also holds a postgraduate diploma in Healthcare Management from Kenya Institute of Management. Since 2004, Nerry has participated in research, coordinated continuous professional development among nurses at Kenyatta National Hospital. Nerry is interested in disease control and epidemiology, specifically in the field of HIV and AIDS.

Samuel W. Ndungu, MBChB, MMed

Bio

Samuel W. Ndungu is an obstetrician & gynecologist at Mbagathi District Hospital in Nairobi. He is in charge of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and is involved in the training of medical officer interns and clinical officer interns. He was the Medical Superintendent of Maralal District Hospital. Samuel was educated at University of Nairobi’s School of Medicine, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine & Surgery and a Master’s degree in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Samuel has a major interest in HIV/AIDS research. He was one of the study doctors in the Kesho Bora ( ‘A better tomorrow’ in Swahili) PMTCT study, a multi-center randomized controlled trial that compared various PMTCT regimes.

Kenneth Ngure, BSc Nursing, MSc, MPH, PhD

Bio

Mr. Ngure is the study coordinator for the UW collaborative Partners PrEP Study at the Thika Site, Kenya. Before joining the PrEP study team, Kenneth worked as a study coordinator for the UW HIV-HSV2 Transmission Clinical Trial. From 2004 to2005, he served as Program Director for the Organization of African First Ladies Against AIDS (OAFLA) where he coordinated programs which focused on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support among women, orphans, and vulnerable children in Kenya. He is currently completing his PhD in Public Health at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and an MSc in Clinical Trials from the University of London. Kenneth was recently awarded the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship. Kenneth received his MPH and BSc.N degrees from the University of Nairobi and an Executive Master of Science in Organizational Development degree from the United States International University. He also received 2 postgraduate diplomas in HIV/STI Management and Clinical Trials from the University of Nairobi and University of London respectively. In 2010, Kenneth was an International AIDS Research and Training Program Scholar at the University of Washington, his training appointment, included taking the Qualitative Methods in Health Services course (HServ 521) and analyzing data from a pilot study on barriers to couples HIV testing. Kenneth’s scholarly interests include fertility intentions and contraceptive use among HIV positive women and HIV serodiscordant couples.

Tanzania

Mucho Mizinduko, MD, MPH

Bio

Mucho Mizinduko is working as research clinician for Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, Mwanza, Tanzania. He graduated from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in 2007 and was awarded his Doctor of Medicine degree. From October 2007 to October 2008, he did his post medical school internship at Mbeya Consultant Hospital in Mbeya, Tanzania. Apart from being research clinician, Mucho has mainly served as a research team/site leader responsible for overall site activities. As part of capacity-building within Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit, he received a grant to attend a short course on epidemiology and medical statistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine 2010. Since graduation, his career interest has been in public health research.

Hawa A. Nyange, MD

Bio

Hawa A. Nyange is currently a medical doctor and site manager for Muhimbili University-Dar es Salaam City-Harvard University (MDH) HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Clinic at Tandale in collaboration with Tanzania’s Ministry of Health. Her main activities include supervising the clinic monitoring and involving in quality improvement of services in the areas of HIV/AIDS, including Management of Adults/pediatric HIV/AIDS, PMTCT,TB/HIV. From 2006 to late 2007, Dr. Hawa served as medical doctor and Coordinator of Health Officers Training Program at Edna Adan Charitable Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland responsible for coordinating the health officers program and running the inpatients and outpatients clinic managing diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, diabetes, hypertension, diarrheal diseases, and pneumonia. From 2005 to mid-2006, Dr. Hawa worked with the MUHAS-Harvard project as a physician, where she was also attending to patients with HIV/AIDS, giving them health education about HIV/AIDS and other opportunistic infections, prescribing ARVS to them and treating any other conditions they had. Dr. Hawa received her MD at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. Dr. Hawa is a member of different organizations such as Medical Women Association of Tanzania (MEWATA), Tanzania Medical Students Association (TAMSA), and Roots and Shoots. Dr. Hawa’s scholarly interest is in public health and disease prevention, program management, and monitoring and evaluation.

Riziki O. Ponsiano, MD, MPH

Bio

Riziki O. Ponsiano worked as the Mkuranga District medical officer from 2006 to 2007. He served as the medical officer-in-charge of the Mkuranga District Hospital for three years from 2003 to 2005. During that period, he was also working as the District Integrated Management of Childhood Illness Coordinator, District Lymphatic Phiraliasis Eradication Coordinator, and District Measles and Acute Paralysis Program Coordinator. Dr. Ponsiano was educated at the University of Dar es Salaam where he received his MD degree and completed his medical internship at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. Dr. Ponsiano received his MPH in Social and Behavioral Health Sciences and a postgraduate certificate in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the US. He is currently working as the project coordinator of Human Pappiloma Virus Vaccination Program in the Mwanza Intervention Trials Unit (MITU), National Institute for Medical Research, the program which aims to inform the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on the feasibility of introducing school-based HPV vaccination programs in Tanzania. Dr. Ponsiano’s area of interest is theory-based analysis of social-behavioral factors attributable to maternal and infant deaths in developing countries.

Alice K. Simwinga, MD

Bio

Alice K. Simwinga is currently the site manager and assistant medical officer at the Muhimbili University-Dar es Salaam City-Harvard University (MDH) HIV Clinic Sinza Hospital in Dar es Salaam, which is one of the PEPFAR funded program since January 2006. Prior to that, she was a general clinician. Alice coordinates HIV/AIDS care and treatment clinics in adults, pediatrics, PMTC, and TB/HIV. She has long experience in HIV/AIDS leadership, particularly with interest to social sciences. Dr. Simwinga attended psychosocial care and counseling for HIV-infected children and adolescents in 2008. She supervises two new ARVs refill sites in Kinondoni District for stable case management. She also headed VCT project sponsored by Axios Foundation from 2003 to 2004 and served as the Secretary General of Doctors’ Membership Club at Tumbi Special Hospital. Dr. Simwinga completed an advanced diploma in clinical medicine in 2002 at Mbeya Medical Training Centre. She was awarded best student in surgery and obstetrics and gynecology. In 2009, she completed her postgraduate diploma in social work where she specialized in social development. She is interested in HIV/AIDS program/project management, M&E, public health, and table tennis.

Uganda

Richard Muhindo, BSc Nursing, MPH

Bio

Richard Muhindo received his BScN in Nursing at Makerere University in 2004. In August 2004, he worked with Masaka Regional Referral Hospital as an intern nurse until the following year. Richard worked as a branch coordinator and service provider for Reproductive Health Uganda, an affiliate of IPPF. In 2008, he worked as a clinical instructor with Mulago School of Nursing & Midwifery. He received his Masters in Public Health degree from Maastricht University in Holland in 2010. Currently he is a volunteer lecturer in the College of Health Sciences’ Department of Nursing at Makerere University. He is particularly interested in reproductive health and family planning, and adolescent reproductive health.

Ziadah Nankinga, RN, BSN, MSC

Bio

Ziadah is a teaching assistant at the Department of Nursing College of Health Sciences, Makerere University. She has worked as a course coordinator and clinical instructor for Medical Nursing and Palliative Care for four years. Since 2006, she also supervises undergraduate students’ research. She received both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics degrees at Makerere University. Her research interest is in malaria.

Joyce Nankumbi, RN, BSc Nursing, MSc

Bio

Joyce Nankumbi has been a teaching assistant in the Department of Nursing College of Health Sciences, Makerere University since 2006. In 2008, Joyce began to pursue a Master’s degree in Applied Human Nutrition at the same university. She joined Mulago Teaching and National referral hospital as a clinical nurse in 2005 for one year. She received her Bachelor of Nursing from Makerere in 2005.

Benson Tumwesigye Tuhwezeine, MBChB, MPH

Bio

Benson Tumwesigye Tuhwezeine is a public health specialist working with Ministry of Health Uganda. He is currently the national coordinator for HIV Counseling and Testing in the STD/AIDS Control Program-Ministry of Health. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Makerere University. He has worked as quality improvement technical adviser/technical coordinator in the Quality of Care for HIV Program in the Ministry of Health in Uganda and University Research Co. LL (URC). During the time at URC, he trained and mentored several health workers in quality improvement (QI). Benson also spearheaded the Technical Working Group (TWG) that developed national QI indicators on HIV/AIDS care and treatment. He has trained and mentored Master’s students and fellows in QI at Makerere University’s School of Public Health. In his current position, he has been coordinating HCT implementation, and has led the review of a new HCT policy. His interest is in health policy and programming with an emphasis in strengthening health systems.

United States

Lisa Gatti, BSN, MSN

Bio

Lisa Gatti is a doctoral student in Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing and a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) from the University of Pennsylvania. Her MSN is in the field of health leadership, with a focus on women’s health. Most of Ms. Gatti’s prior research has been related to nutrition, particularly maternal and infant nutrition. She has been trained in both quantitative and qualitative methods and has conducted a variety of funded research projects, both with multi-disciplinary teams and independently. Since 2008, Ms. Gatti has spent the majority of her time in rural Guatemala conducting community-based research and working for a private hospital, Hospitalito Atitlan, as their development manager. From 2006-2008, she held a T32 doctoral fellowship at the Center for Health Disparities Research at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship in 2010 and the Advanced Trainee Scholarship in Nursing in 2005. Prior to working in Guatemala, Ms. Gatti also worked and in Mexico, training nurses, Thailand, researching the national and private health systems, and France, studying language. Ms. Gatti is interested in international healthcare development.

SoSon Jong, BSN, MS Nursing, MS

Bio

SoSon Jong completed her MS in Advanced Community Health and International Nursing and received her MS in Global Health Science at the University of California, San Francisco in 2009. Korean by birth, SoSon received her BS in Nursing at Seoul National University. She spent two years as a volunteer nurse at Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa, learning fluent Amharic. Since 2007, she has worked on HIV/Oncology unit in San Francisco General Hospital as a registered nurse. Her broad global health interest is in community health and access-to-care.

Aliza Monroe-Wise, MD, MSc

Bio

Aliza Monroe-Wise is a second year resident in Internal Medicine at University of Washington Medical Center. Dr. Monroe-Wise graduated from Columbia University with a BA in African American Studies in 2002. She then spent a year conducting HIV prevention research in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. In 2005 she completed a Master’s degree in Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Her thesis was entitled “Married, Monogamous Women at Risk: The Sexual Relationships and Behaviors of Married Men in Chennai, India.” Dr. Monroe-Wise then entered Stanford School of Medicine in 2005. As a medical student, she worked on an HIV counseling and testing study in Uganda and an HIV chemoprophylaxis study in Brazil. She started her residency in Internal Medicine at University of Washington after graduating from medical school in 2009, and was then accepted into the Global Health track there. Dr. Monroe-Wise is the Western Region representative to the American College of Physicians’ National Council of Associates. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and playing capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art.