Nazira Karimo Vali Abdula

Nazira Karimo Vali Abdula is a medical doctor and currently Minister of Health in the Republic of Mozambique, a position she has held since January 2015. Trained in pediatrics and general medicine, she has worked over several decades on malaria, cholera, and HIV/AIDS. Her previous posts have included leading a district-level malaria program in Maputo, overseeing the cholera ward of Maputo Central Hospital during a cholera epidemic, and managing Beira Central Hospital and Nampula Central Hospital. Dr. Abdula studied medicine at the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, completed a post-graduate diploma at Maputo Central Hospital, and gained a Master’s degree in food science from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.

Issac Adewole

Isaac Adewole is the Minister of Health Nigeria. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole is a Professor of gynecology and obstetrics, and since 2015 has served as Minister of Health for Nigeria. Previously, Adewole was Vice-Chancellor at the University of Ibadan and President of the African Organization for Research and Training in cancer. He has also served as Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, is a member of the governing council of Adeleke University, chairs the National Panel on Cervical Cancer Control Policy, and was previously appointed as member of the international advisory board of the African Cancer Institute. His research interests include human papillomavirus, HIV, and gynecological oncology. In his capacity as minister, Adewole was appointed by World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanam Ghebreyesus to serve on the Independent High-level Committee on Non-Communicable Diseases from 2018 to 2019. He is also a member of the Family Planning 2020 Reference Group. Adewole is a graduate of the University of Ibadan.

Rym Abdulla Al-Falasy

Rym Abdulla Al-Falasy is the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood. Working under the directives of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, President of the General Women’s Union and Chairwoman of the Supreme Council of Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), Al-Falasy strives to achieve multiple objectives including ensuring support, safety and security for all mothers and children, suggesting development policies for their progress, and encouraging studies and research. Prior to joining the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Rym Al Falasy worked with the General Secretariat of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, where she led the Strategic Communications Section. Before that, she had led the Communications Section of the Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi. Her Excellency Rym Abdulla Al-Falasy obtained her BA in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, and later obtained a Certificate in Business for International Professionals from the University of Washington.

Jane Ruth Aceng

Jane Ruth Aceng was appointed as the Minister of Health Uganda in June 2016. She is a Pediatrics expert and is currently at the level of Senior Consultant Pediatrics. Dr. Aceng has vast experience, both as a manager and a practicing medical personnel, which she accumulated while serving in various capacities, including as a Medical Officer, Senior Medical Officer, Medical Officer Special Grade, Medical Superintendent, Consultant Pediatrician, Senior Consultant Pediatrician, Hospital Director, and the Director General for Health Services within the Ministry of Health.

Dzulkefly Ahmad

H.E. Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad was appointed Minister of Health for Malaysia in May 2018, following his victory in the 14th Malaysia General Election. This is his second term as a Member of Parliament. He was first elected in the 2008 election. His career started at the Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM) Faculty of Medical Sciences in Pulau Pinang in 1984, where he was a lecturer. He subsequently went to work at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kelantan, where he also taught Islamic Civilisation. Dr Dzulkefly was previously a member of the British Toxicology Society (BTS) and the Asia Pacific Association of Medical Toxicology (APAMT). He is also the founder of Jaiputra College Management Board in Kelantan, and was Chairman from 1999 to 2003. His previous positions also include consultant at an asset management company in Kuala Lumpur, Director of a public listed company, and Senior Advisor at a property company. He is currently the Director of an Oman-based International Education Company, a position he has held since 2017.

CARLO ANGELES

Carlo Angeles is an advocate for citizenship development through youth active participation in the design and implementation of public policies. At 25, he was appointed National Director for Organization of Youth at the Ministry of Education, becoming Peru’s youngest senior government official, and designing Peru’s first civil society participation and accountability mechanism for the Sustainable Development Goals. He has spoken at the Annual Meeting of Governors of the World Bank/IMF, UN Habitat III and Civicus International Civil Society Week, among others. He has served on the Selection Committee for the Civil Society Representative for UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda; the Selection Committee for stakeholder speakers of UN President of General Assembly WSIS+10 consult; the Organizing Committee of the Youth Forum of the UN Intergovernmental Conference on the Global Compact for Migration; and as judge for the Organization of American States – TIC Americas and USAID Young Women Transform Prize. Currently, he serves on the Advisory Board of SISE University, and as elected legislator at the Government of Lima. A founder of the Hult Prize Peru, he holds a master’s degree in public administration from San Martin de Porres University and has received specialized training at Harvard and Köln universities.

Nikolai Astrup

Nikolai Astrup is the Minister of International Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Astrup served as chair of the Standing Committee on Finance in the Norwegian Parliament 2017-2018. He was elected Member of Parliament in 2009 and leader of the Conservative Party in Oslo in 2012, and was previously leader of the Oslo Norwegian Young Conservatives. After the 2013 elections, Astrup was appointed as vice-chair of the Conservative Party Parliamentary Group, and he was re-appointed to this same position after the 2017-election. Prior to his election to parliament, he worked as political adviser for the Conservative Party parliamentary group and political adviser to the Governing Mayor of Oslo. He has also worked in management consulting at Arkwright. Between 2001 and 2008 he was editor of the conservative periodical Minerva. In parliament, Astrup sat on the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment from 2009-2015, and from 2016-2017, he chaired the Standing Committee on Transport and Communication. After the 2017 election he was appointed chair of the Standing Committee on Finance, and is the Conservative's spokesperson on issues relating to these issues. For a number of years Astrup was also spokesperson on European affairs and he served as vice-president of the European Movement in Norway in 2012-2013. Astrup holds a Master's degree in European Politics and Governance, and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Nikolai Astrup

Nikolai Astrup is the Minister of International Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Astrup served as chair of the Standing Committee on Finance in the Norwegian Parliament 2017-2018. He was elected Member of Parliament in 2009 and leader of the Conservative Party in Oslo in 2012, and was previously leader of the Oslo Norwegian Young Conservatives. After the 2013 elections, Astrup was appointed as vice-chair of the Conservative Party Parliamentary Group, and he was re-appointed to this same position after the 2017-election. Prior to his election to parliament, he worked as political adviser for the Conservative Party parliamentary group and political adviser to the Governing Mayor of Oslo. He has also worked in management consulting at Arkwright. Between 2001 and 2008 he was editor of the conservative periodical Minerva. In parliament, Astrup sat on the Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment from 2009-2015, and from 2016-2017, he chaired the Standing Committee on Transport and Communication. After the 2017 election he was appointed chair of the Standing Committee on Finance, and is the Conservative's spokesperson on issues relating to these issues. For a number of years Astrup was also spokesperson on European affairs and he served as vice-president of the European Movement in Norway in 2012-2013. Astrup holds a Master's degree in European Politics and Governance, and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations, both from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Gabriela Cuevas Barron

Gabriela Cuevas Barron is the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Barron is a Mexican politician who has been in politics for the last 20 years and a senator since September 2012. She is the Chairperson of the Foreign Relations Committee, which is responsible for the analysis of Mexico’s foreign policy. She currently serves as the 29th President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Ms. Cuevas Barron was a member of the IPU Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law (2014–2016), which she chaired for the first year, and has also been the internal auditor for the IPU in 2017. Ms. Cuevas Barron first became involved with politics at the age of 15, when she joined the National Action Party (PAN), the main opposition force during Mexico’s transition towards democracy. Together with a group of young people, she founded the Fundación Educa México, A.C., which is committed to improving education in Mexico. Ms. Cuevas Barron has worked to promote laws on human rights, gender equity, the fight against corruption, transparency and environmental protection. She is particularly active on the human rights of migrants and the protection of children. At the IPU, she also worked with the Bahrain Parliament as co-rapporteur on the role of parliamentarians in protecting the rights of children. Ms. Cuevas Barron studied Political Science at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (2001) and attended various seminars and courses in political communication, public management, and political theory at universities and training institutions in Mexico and abroad.

Kim Simplis Barrow

Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow is Belize’s Special Envoy for Women and Children and the founder and director of one of Belize’s most acclaimed charity organisations, the “Lifeline Foundation” which strives to improve the quality of life for the children of Belize. Mrs. Simplis Barrow has worked for many years as a community activist and advocate for the rights of children. In 2013 Mrs. Simplis Barrow embarked on a public education campaign titled “My Body is Precious” that seeks to empower children and adolescents with information on sexual abuse and exploitation.

In the role as Executive Director for the Belize Tourism Industry, she made numerous contributions to the strategic development as well as the implementation of the long term roadmap for Belize’s tourism industry. Prior to this position, she served as Marketing Director for the popular Fiesta Inn Hotel properties in Mazatlan, Cozumel and Belize.

Mrs. Simplis Barrow holds a Master’s Degree in International Business from Florida International University and a second Master’s in Hospitality Management from the same University. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality with a minor in Spanish from the Instituto Technologico de Morelia in Mexico City.

Henk Bekedam

Henk Bekedam is the WHO Representative to India. He is a Dutch national and a medical doctor by training. In his current role, Dr Bekedam provides key policy advice to the Union Health Ministry, NITI Aayog and Departments of Health at the state level. He has been closely associated with major policy developments, including, Health financing and Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Arogya Yojana. Prior to his arrival in India, Dr Bekedam was the WHO Representative to Egypt where he took up his position in 2013. He and the team focused WHO’s support on scaling-up treatment and prevention of hepatitis C; strengthening the response to the largest outbreak of avian flu in humans and maintaining Egypt’s polio free status. In addition, WHO facilitated a White Paper that outlines a clear path for Egypt to move towards Universal Health Coverage, including steps towards a comprehensive health insurance system for all Egyptians. Dr Bekedam was for six years the Director of Health Sector Development in the WHO Western Pacific Region. Dr Bekedam was the WHO Representative to China from 2002 to 2007. Prior to his time in China, Dr Bekedam worked in Cambodia for six years. Before his work with WHO, Dr Bekedam was seconded to governments in Africa from 1988 to 1995. Initially based in Zambia he moved to Malawi in 1991, where he headed the southern regional health office, covering half of the country’s population and one million Mozambican refugees. He acquired his MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1996.

Ayo Bello

Ayo Bello is an endFGM champion and advocate from Nigeria. She is one of the vibrant and young gender equality crusaders in Nigeria. She is committed to ending Female Genital Mutilation- FGM in Africa beginning with Nigeria. The FGM survivor runs an initiative called Ladies Circle International focused on sensitizing rural community members on the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation.

Ayo is a fellow of the Barack Obama leaders initiative- YALI, a graduate of Sociology and Anthropology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Ayo envisages a world where women and girls have access to equal opportunities and not hindered by unfavorable social norms or harmful traditional practices.

When she is not inspiring an audience with her public speaking skills, she is dancing, watching a movie or cooking. Ayo looks forward to serving in Public office beginning with political offices in Nigeria and then the UN.

Viv Bennett CBE

Professor Viv Bennett CBE has been Chief Nurse for Public Health England since 2012 and the Government’s Principal Advisor on Public Health Nursing. She is also the Head of WHO’s Collaborating Centre for Public Health Nursing and Midwifery. Prior to 2012, she worked in a range of provider and commissioner organizations as Director of Nursing, coupled with other executive lead responsibilities. She currently leads a call to action entitled All Our Health, aiming to create a social movement for health by all health and care professionals. She also leads in the national public health programme “Best Start in Life” and on prevention in the national Maternity Transformation Programme (workstream) established in 2016 to implement the vision outlined by the National Maternity Review in England. Having trained as a nurse in Oxford in 1976 and as a health visitor at Oxford Brookes University in the early 1980s, she holds a master’s degree in health and social policy, is Honorary Fellow and Visiting Professor at King’s College, London, and a Fellow of the Queen’s Nursing Institute and the Institute of Health Visiting. In 2015 she was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree by Oxford Brookes University and a CBE for her services to nursing.

Carla Blauvelt

Carla Blauvelt has been VillageReach Malawi’s Country Director since December 2015. She is responsible for the overall strategic management, leadership and administration of the VillageReach Malawi country office, including managing a multidisciplinary team of over 80 employees, liaising with the Ministry of Health and donors and overseeing various country programmes for supply chains , mHealth, maternal and child health, human resources and community health. As the lead for Chipatala cha pa Foni (CCPF) she helped strategically guide the team in its transition to the Ministry of Health and nationwide scale-up, managed the private-public partnership with Airtel and managed donor relations. She currently guides the development of a toolkit enabling other countries to replicate CCPF. Previously, she held several positions for The Carter Center in South Sudan for the Guinea Worm Eradication Program and Trachoma Control Program, including as Country Representative, Deputy, Epidemiologist/Data Manager and Technical Advisor. She has also worked at Johns Hopkins University, Partners in Health in Peru, and the Centres for Disease Control in Kenya. She started her global health career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya. She holds a master’s degree in anthropology, with a focus on medical anthropology, from The George Washington University.

Maria Eugenia Bonilla-Chacin

Maria Eugenia Bonilla-Chacin is the Lead Economist at Global Financing Facility and the Country Focal Point for Bangladesh and Madagascar.

Maria Eugenia Bonilla-Chacin leads the health financing for the GFF. Before joining the GFF, she worked for the World Bank Group’s Health, Nutrition and Population unit, where she led and contributed to different operational activities and technical assistance on health financing, service delivery, and health-in-all-policies issues in the Latin America and Caribbean, Africa, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions. She received an undergraduate degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and a PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins University.

Frederike Booke

Frederike Booke is a medical student and representative of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA). Since 2013 she has been an advocate for and educator on sexual and reproductive health issues, working mainly with adolescents and students. Since 2017, she has worked for IFMSA internationally, focusing on ending discrimination in health care and advocating for inclusive and comprehensive medical training. She is IFMSA’s Liaison Officer for Sexual and Reproductive Health Issues including HIV/AIDS for 2018/19, serving as focal point for external partners and allies in the area of SRHR.

John Borrazzo

John Borrazzo is the Senior Health Specialist at the Global Financing Facility. Prior to this, John Borrazzo was Chief of the Maternal and Child Health Division in the Bureau for Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development, which includes responsibilities for maternal, newborn and child health, as well as environmental health. He joined USAID in 1992 on a Science and Diplomacy Fellowship (1992-94) from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, working on toxic substance exposure and air pollution in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Egypt.

From 1996 until his appointment as MCH Division Chief in January 2008, he was Environmental Health Team Leader, working in sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Ethiopia, Madagascar), Asia (India, Indonesia), and Latin America and the Caribbean (Peru, Haiti).

Dr Borrazzo received Masters and Ph.D. degrees researching various issues in indoor air quality at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and he completed post-doctoral research at the Institute for Water, Soil, and Air Hygiene in Berlin, Germany. He also holds an undergraduate degree in physics from Harvard University.

BUNNAK POCH

Poch Bunnak is Secretary of State, Ministry of Planning, Cambodia. His activities and responsibilities include: population and development policies (National Population Policy 2016-2030, National Population Ageing Policy 2017-2030); policy-related papers (including on Cambodia’s ageing population, demographic dividend and community development); the Identification of Poor Households (IDPoor) programme; nutrition programme; social protection; and south-south cooperation and triangulation. He is a Planning Focal Point to the United Nations and sits on several inter-ministerial committees. He has taught research methodology, quantitative data analysis, impact assessment, demography and population study, and conducted research in population and development, health, child labour, marriage and divorce, gender and violence, etc. As a post-doctoral fellow at the Population Research Center, NORC/the University of Chicago, USA in 2002-2005 he analysed Cambodian socio-demographic data. He holds a PhD in sociology from Mississippi State University for which he wrote a dissertation: “Socioeconomic adaptation of immigrants from mainland Southeast Asian countries: an intergenerational analysis”.

Jennifer Butler

Jennifer Butler is the UNFPA Deputy Regional Director, Asia Pacific. Dr. Jennifer Butler, PhD, is Deputy Regional Director, Asia Pacific, for UNFPA and currently serving as OIC for India and Bhutan. She joined UNFPA twelve years ago as Senior Technical Adviser on HIV and key populations in the Technical Division, before moving to be Regional Adviser on HIV in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

Prior to joining UNFPA, Dr. Butler served in the Senior Executive Service, NSW Health, Australia and directed comprehensive primary health care programmes among rural and remote communities in northern Thailand. She is a global expert in HIV and has authored many papers and policy documents, including as guest co-editor of the LANCET Special Series on HIV and Sex Workers. She has extensive experience in sexual and reproductive health and rights; community empowerment and civil society engagement; addressing genderbased violence among women in marginalized settings; and urbanization and its impact on girls and young women.

Elizabeth Chizema

Elizabeth Chizemis director of the recently established National Malaria Elimination Centre and director of Disease Surveillance, Control, and Research at the Ministry of Health, Zambia. Among her many roles, she has been responsible for: disease surveillance and epidemiology; disease control and outbreak response; environmental and occupational health; national malaria control; oral health; research, communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases/neglected tropical diseases as well HIV, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted infection preventive programs.

From 2009–2011, Dr Chizema served as the director of Technical Support Services for the Ministry of Health, Zambia (MOH) where she was responsible for overseeing provincial and district health services and for performance assessment and technical support at all service delivery levels. Prior to this role, she served as the MOH’s deputy director of Public Health and Research (2006–2009), where she was responsible for the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP). She also served as district director of health in both rural and urban areas, including service as acting medical superintendent and acting deputy director of MOH hospitals in Ndola, where she also completed a medical residency. Dr Chizema earned a Medical degree from the University of Zambia and a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Robert Clay

Robert Clay is vice president of Global Health for Save the Children, which gives children around the world a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. He works with the Department of Health and Nutrition to build upon Save the Children's sustained efforts to improve the health and nutritional status of women and children.
Prior to joining Save the Children, Robert was the deputy assistant administrator in the Bureau for Global Health at USAID, where he was intimately involved in USAID's efforts to drive innovation and leverage technology. He also chaired the Saving Mothers, Giving Life Leadership Council, and represented the U.S. government on the GAVI executive board.

Carmen Clemente

Carmen Clementewho is from Spain and now living in Brussels, is Communications Manager at the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, having started work there as a volunteer. She previously worked as a project manager assistant in the field of humanitarian aid and education for development. She has worked to improve the life and care of people living with disabilities since she began volunteering for that community at the age of 18. She currently specializes in external and internal communication strategies in the health sector and advocacy for human rights. She holds a master’s degree in international relations and communication.

Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli

Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli works on Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) in the World Health Organization’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research. His work includes building the evidence base on ASRH, and supporting countries to translate this evidence into action through well-conceived and well-managed policies and programmes. His experience is global in scope and spans over 30 years. Dr Chandra-Mouli joined WHO in 1993 and worked on HIV/AIDS prevention until 1996. Since then, his work has focused on adolescent health. Before joining WHO, he worked in Zambia, India and Zimbabwe for 12 years, providing primary care services, preventing childhood malnutrition, preventing HIV and responding to people with HIV, setting up a regional training and mentoring initiative and funding HIV/AIDS related work. During 25 years at WHO, he has led or contributed substantially to a number of WHO’s publications, including evidence reviews, policy and programmatic guidance, advocacy documents, training and self-learning materials and evaluation tools. At country level he has contributed to – and drawn from – the work of national bodies and front-line organizations, in many different social, cultural and economic settings. He has presented at scores of conferences, and authored/co-authored books, book chapters, newsletter articles, blog pieces and over 80 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Daglar Cilingir

Daglar Cilingir is one of the International Coordinators of the Y-PEER Network and a youth activist in the field of SRHR from Turkey. She joined Y-PEER Turkey in 2014 and started conducting peer training in several Turkish cities. In 2016, she was elected Focal Point in Charge of Y-PEER Turkey; holding this position for two years enabled her to advocate at regional and international levels. In 2017, she did a three-month fellowship at the PETRI Sofia Centre and coordinated Y-PEER network's international activities before being elected as its International Coordinator. At Y-PEER Turkey, she worked with young people including LGBTI+, Syrian refugees and young women. She trained trainers and peers, and ran workshops with young Syrian refugees as a part of the Support to Young Refugees Project in partnership with UNFPA’s Turkey Office and Community Volunteers Foundation. As a part of that project, four youth centres were opened to provide youth-friendly health services, for which she coordinated various activities. In July 2018, she participated in a meeting of Wilton Park in Sussex, UK, to discuss the needs of adolescent Syrian refugees living in Turkey. She is studying for a master’s degree in social policy at Bogazici University, Istanbul.

Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey

Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey is the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Sworn in as Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, on 3rd Sept, 2017, Choubey represents the Buxar Lok Sabha Parliamentary Constituency of Bihar. Earlier, in Bihar, he was Minister for Urban Development from 2005 – 2008, Minister for Public Health Engineering Department between 2008 & 2010 and Minister of Health between 2010 - June, 2013. He was Member for 5 consecutive terms of Legislative Assembly of Bihar from 1995 - 2013. He holds a Degree in B.Sc. (Hons.) Zoology and was educated in Science College, Patna University, Bihar. He has been all long a crusader for civil liberties and was in custody under DIR and MISA. As a social and cultural activist from his student days upto his graduation into politics, he organized many blood donation camps, health awareness programmes, anti-tobacco campaigns and cancer awareness programmes in Bihar. As President of the Patna University Students’ Union, he was conferred the shield for organizing and collecting maximum blood donation from 1973 to 1980 consecutively. As Minister for Health in Govt. of Bihar, he organized 11000 Health Camps for health awareness by taking extensive Peoples’ Health Awareness Journey and also advocated and took the initiative to take “health care and the doctors to the door of the patients. He also coined and propagated the slogan “Ghar-Ghar me ho shouchalaya ka nirman, tabhi hoga ladli bitiya ka kanyadaan” – (let there be a toilet in each house before you give away your affectionate daughter in matrimony). He caused construction of 11000 toilets for Mahadalit families. His special interest is ‘Upliftment of the poor’ and his favourite pastime is Yoga, Music and watching Kathak Dance.

Jean Daryl

Jean Daryl is a Youth Member of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines. Daryl is a graduate of Bachelor of Seconday Education with specialization in English at Surigao State College of Technology,Surigao City where she also obtained her Master’s Degree in Education . She is youth member of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, an IPPF Member Association in the Philippines. She currently teaches English & Literature at her alma mater. Jean co-founded the Surigao Youth Convergence, a coalition of youth organisations that are based in the Southern part of the Philippines. The organization seeks to incorporate the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, now synthesized into seven – health, education and youth participation, poverty alleviation, environment, employment, human rights, and peace and development – in the province of Surigao del Norte with young people as the crucial players in their integration. She currently leads the Program and Advocacy unit of the coalition. At the age of 16, Jean started her volunteer works when she became a member of Surigao Youth Center, a government organization under the umbrella of Commission of Population, which provides services to young people and supports the agency’s adolescent and youth development programs. Jean is an advocate of adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights and of women’s rights. She is also dedicated in advocacies such as youth empowerment, climate change awareness, women empowerment and helping the less fortunate children and families.

Dr Jai K Das

Dr Jai K Das is Assistant Professor in the Division of Women and Child Health, and Section Head of Public Health and Epidemiology, at the Aga Khan University, Karachi. His research activities include community-based trials, qualitative, mixed-methods research and evidence-based systematic reviews. He is currently Pakistan’s site director for the Cochrane Collaboration and coordinator of the Maternal Child Link on the Global Health Network. He is an author of more than 100 international peer-reviewed publications and contributed to more than 15 book chapters concerned with maternal child health and nutrition. His research interests include interventions to address maternal and child nutrition and infections, and the use of evidence in policy and programmes, including to estimate disease burden, estimate the effectiveness of interventions, develop research capacity and strengthen public health. He holds a bachelor’s degree in medicine, and following a residency in paediatric surgery, he obtained a master’s degree. He is currently studying for a PhD in population and public health.

Susan Durston

Susan Durston is a graduate of Cambridge, and London Universities, and the Open University, in the UK. She is former Associate Director, Education Programmes and Global Chief of Education for UNICEF, and currently an international education consultant and Trustee of CHILD to CHILD.

Her experience includes work for various agencies (UNICEF, DFID, EU, VSO) and has included primary teaching, University lecturing, and extensive programme management and technical long-term field experience at practical and policy level, working with donors, governments and NGOs in low income countries (Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, India and Nepal, with frequent assignments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Maldives and Bhutan), largely in the education sector but also in Ministries of health. Short-term assignments have taken her additionally to Nigeria, Botswana, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Philippines and Turkey.

While in UNICEF she co-chaired the Global Education Cluster for Education in Emergencies and successfully negotiated the process for development of the Peacebuilding and Education for Advocacy Programme with the Government of Netherlands. Recent assignments include an evaluation of UNICEF response to the Syrian refugee crisis in Turkey and work for Education Cannot Wait, the new Global Fund for Education in Emergencies.

Tayo Erogbogbo

Tayo Erogbogbo is the Director of Advocacy at Merck for Mothers. Erogbogbo has two decades of combined private sector and international development experience, 10 years of which was spent in the pharmaceutical industry in multiple roles that included community relations, government affairs, marketing, and sales. As the Director of Advocacy, Tayo is responsible for developing and strategically directing Merck for Mothers’ program engagement in advocacy initiatives. He is focused on sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (SRMNCAH), and most recently, he led the establishment of an adolescents and youth constituency at The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) to advocate for better SRMNCAH policies and services at global, regional, and national levels. Additionally, he contributed to the development of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's, and Adolescents' Health 2016 -2030. Previously, in Nigeria, in collaboration with multisectoral partners, he contributed to the passage of the National Health Bill, the development of the National Gender Policy Guidelines and the passage of Violence Against Person's Prohibition in support of gender equality.

Prior to Merck for Mothers, Tayo spearheaded Abbott's HIV patient relations function in Europe, developing services to support people living with HIV by partnering with community organizations. He also advocated for antiretroviral drug access across Africa and developed a health care professional (HCP) train-the-trainer program that has educated over 3000 HCPs.

Tayo earned a BSc in Management Sciences from Loughborough University, and MSc Information Technology for Management from Coventry University.

Mr Narciso Fernandes

Mr Narciso Fernandes is National Director of Policy Planning and Cooperation, within Timor Leste’s Ministry of Health. He has also served as National HIV/AIDS Program Manager. In recent years his work has targeted the elimination of measles, the control of rubella, and addressing problems in the pharmaceutical sector, for example the supply, selection, and regulation of drugs.

Ferozuddin Feroz

Dr Ferozuddin Feroz is the Minister of Public Health, Afghanistan. Dr. Feroz began his career as a medical practitioner in Baghlan province and subsequently became the Public Health Director of Kapisa province. In 2002, Dr. Feroz joined the Afghan Ministry of Public Health as the Deputy Minister, Policy and Planning. He was instrumental in laying sound foundations for Afghanistan’s current health system. He led, for example, the development of the first mission statement of the Ministry of Health and of the National Interim Health Strategy 2002-2004. In addition, he strongly supported the development of two key initiatives, the Basic Package of Health Services and the Essential Package of Hospital Services, which have made significant contributions to health services throughout the country, and have provided essential guidance for health workers, enhancing their efforts to reduce morbidity and mortality rates. Between 2005 and 2014, Dr. Feroz served as a consultant for the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and for the UK Department for International Development (DFID). In addition, he founded an NGO, the Governance Institute-Afghanistan, and worked on various aspects of health system reform in other parts of the world, including in India and South Sudan.

Alma Crumm Golden

Alma Crumm Golden is Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator at the Bureau for Global Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID). A paediatrician by training, she has worked in private paediatrics, indigent health services, academic medicine, public health, health-care administration and health policy. A graduate of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), she later became director of paediatric services for UTMB’s Maternal and Child Health Programme, establishing and managing 16 clinics in south and east Texas serving unfunded, Title V and Medicaid children and families. She has served as faculty at both the University of Texas Medical Branch and Texas A&M Health Science Center. She also served as a Presidential Appointee from 2002 to 2006 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Population Affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services, which included family planning, teen pregnancy prevention, embryo adoption and abstinence education.

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi Goyal is a disability rights and gender justice activist. She is the Founder Director of the non-profit Rising Flame, her work spans research, writing, training, campaigns, advocacy, and art. She consults with a range of women's rights, human rights and disability rights organisations like Human Rights Watch, Point of View, Crea and SightSavers UK. Nidhi has been actively advocating at policy and legislative levels in India and at the UN to address issues of girls and women with disabilities particularly on sexual and reproductive health and rights. She works to raise the profile of issues at the intersection of disability and gender through op-eds, journal articles, lectures in national and international forums. Nidhi has been appointed to the prestigious global civil society advisory group of UN women’s Executive Director, she sits on the advisory board of “Voice” a grant making facility by the Dutch Ministry she has been globally elected on the board of Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) where she is currently the President Elect, and is also a member of the core group on persons with disabilities of the National Human Rights Commission in India. Lastly, she is also India’s first female disabled standup comic artist who uses humour to challenge prevalent notions of disability and gender!

Anuradha Gupta

Anuradha Gupta is a global development leader with a proven track record for transformational impact at both the country and global levels. She is passionate about women, adolescents and children, in particular their health and education. Currently Deputy CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, an international organisation bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries. Anuradha oversees Gavi strategy, policy and country programmes across 73 countries. Previously Anuradha worked for the Indian Administrative Service for over 30 years in a wide range of leadership positions, from health to urban development, poverty alleviation to security. She played a leading role in India’s efforts to eradicate polio transmission.

Anuradha has assumed an important role in a number of global health initiatives including Co-Chairing the Partnership for Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (PMNCH), serving as a member of the Steering Committee of the “Child Survival Call to Action” at the invitation of Secretary of State Clinton, Co-Chairing the Stakeholder Group for the London Family Planning Summit 2020, and as a member of the Family Planning 2020 Reference Group. Anuradha has a Masters in English Literature from Kurukshetra University, an MBA from the University of Wollongong in Australia, as well as Executive Education from Stanford School of Business and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Vanada Gurani

Vanada Gurani is Joint Secretary of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. She joined the prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1991 and currently leads the Reproductive and Child Health Programme under the National Health Mission. She has implemented programmes including Mission Indradhanush, Anaemia Free India Campaign and Home Based care of Young Children, to improve the health of women, children and adolescents and reach the marginalized and unreached. In 27 years of public service she has served as administrator, policy-maker and public health strategist, holding a wide range of positions in the fields of health, women’s and children’s development and urban and rural development. She also served as Executive Director of the University of Manitoba, Canada for five years and has led multi-state health programmes in India. She was instrumental in organizing the PMNCH Global “Pledges to Actions” Conclave in 2010 and donor grants management. She also worked as Project Director for the HIV Project in Karnataka State. She has authored various journal publications, mainly on health issues. A native of New Delhi, Vandana holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Delhi University, where she lectured in economics before joining the IAS.

Dr Yasmin Ali Haque

Dr Yasmin Ali Haquehas recently joined as the UNICEF Representative in India. Prior to joining in July 2017, she was Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Operations where she played a lead role in the programming and policies for an effective UNICEF response for children in humanitarian crisis.

During this tenure, Yasmin contributed significantly to national policy analysis and strategic planning for maternal health and maternal mortality reduction in context of the human rights based approach. A national of Bangladesh, Dr. Haque holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from Dhaka Medical College, Bangladesh (1985), and a Master’s of Science degree in Health Systems Management from London University (2002).

Dr. Haque served as the first UNICEF Representative in South Sudan 2010 to 2013, and from 2007 to 2010 she led the UNICEF Ghana office. As Deputy Representative in Sri Lanka 2004-2007, she was responsible for guiding and coordinating the UNICEF programme of support as well as the emergency response to the 2004 Asian tsunami. Dr. Haque first joined UNICEF in Bangladesh in 1996 as Project Officer for Health and Nutrition.

Norwu G. Howard

Norwu G. Howardis the Deputy Minister of Health for Administration, Republic of Liberia. With more than 23 years of nursing and administrative experience, Miss Howard has a diverse background in advanced nursing practice and administration. For over 12 years, she worked with healthcare systems in the United States to ensure consistent compliance with standards set by regulatory boards, healthcare facilities, and local and federal governments. Prior to joining the Ministry of Health, Norwu served as the Director of Patient Care Services at the Jackson Memorial Perdue Medical Center in Miami, Florida, a 163 bed public facility where she was responsible for clinical, operational and financial leadership for nursing and all clinical services. In September 2018 she was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Jewel Starfish foundation, a non-profit foundation whose mission is to empower young girls and women so they can reach their fullest potential and contribute to society. She provides strategic direction to help the Board accomplish its goal of changing lives by ensuring the provision of sound education and direction for girls and women in need, and by leveraging networks, connections, and resources. Norwu holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the Cuttington University College in Liberia, and a Master’s Degree in Nursing from the Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.

Malahat Ibrahimgizi

Malahat Ibrahimgizi is a Member of Parliament of Azerbaijan. Dr. Ibrahimgizi was born in Kichik Mezre village in the Republic of Armenia. She graduated from the Paediatrics Department of the Azerbaijan State Medical Institute and the Law Department of the Baku State University, Georgia. Hon. Dr. Ibrahimgizi holds Ph.D. in medical and historical sciences. In 1982-1992 Hon. Dr. Ibrahimgizi worked as a paediatrician at the Children’s outpatient’s clinic in Baku. In 1992 she became the Chief physician in the same clinic. From 1998 to 2000 Hon. Dr. Ibrahimgizi became the first Deputy Chairperson of the State Committee on Women’s Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Hon. Dr. Ibrahimgizi has been a member of the Azerbaijan Parliament since 2000. Hon. Dr. Ibrahimgizi is a member of the political council of New Azerbaijan Party. She is a Member of the Amnesty Commission under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Hon. Ibrahimgizi is a chairperson of the Parliament’s Vote’s Counting Commission and a member of the Standing Commission on Social Policy. She is the head of several inter-parliamentary working groups. Hon. Dr. Ibrahimgizi is a member of the Azerbaijan delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Hon. Dr. Ibrahimgizi is one of the prominent leaders on gender issues in Azerbaijan. She is a Co-chair of the National Confederation of Azerbaijani Women and an honorary member of the Owner Women Council. In 2000, she founded the NGO Leader Women Social Union which focuses on equal rights and opportunities for women. Dr. Ibrahimgizi has authored six books on gender issues.

Tikhala Itaye

Ms. Tikhala Itaye is a passionate youth advocate from Malawi. Tikhale’s work is focused on empowerment, rights, youth development and leadership. She founded her own youth-led organisation called HeR Liberty that works to equip young people to be change agents in their respective communities. She has produced a TV Drama series on HIV and Gender Based Violence targeting young people and is also a TV presenter and personality on a Malawian Local TV show called "21st Generation." She is the Former President for the African Youth and Adolescent Network (AfriYAN) that coordinates youth networks in 21 countries in East and Southern Africa. She is also a Board Member of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. Tikhale is one of the youngest woman to chair and lead a global movement called, She Decides. A lawyer by profession, her heart lies in social development and human rights.

Katja Iversen

Katja Iversen is the President/CEO of Women Deliver, and a leading global advocate for investment in gender equality and the health, rights and well-being of girls and women, with a focus on maternal, sexual and reproductive health and rights. An internationally recognized expert on development, advocacy and communications, she has more than 25 years’ experience of working in NGOs, corporations and United Nation agencies. She was Chief of Strategic Communication and Public Advocacy with UNICEF, a position she came to after almost six years of leading the team responsible for advocacy and communication on reproductive health with UNFPA. She has worked in global development for more than 20 years, and has counselled and trained many Fortune 500 executives on cross-cultural management and cross-cultural communication. She is a member of Prime Minster Trudeau’s G7 Gender Equality Council, the Unilever Sustainability Advisory Council and the MIT Women & Technology Solve Leadership Group, and an International Gender Champion. Recently named in the top 10 of Apolitical’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy, she is also a lecturer and speaker. She holds a master’s degree in communications, a bachelor's degree in public administration and certificates in management, conflict resolution and international development.

David Imbago Jácome

David Imbago Jácome is a medical doctor from Ecuador. Aged 25, he is a Board Member of the Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. As the Coalition’s Development Liaison officer, he manages fundraising strategies as well as contact with partners. In addition, David is an alternate Board member of PMNCH’s Adolescent and Youth Constituency, and the focal point for the Women Deliver Youth Engagement Group. At the local level, he works in a rural village in the Ecuadorian Amazon as a primary care physician. Before joining the Youth Coalition, he was a member of the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations for more than six years, working in the field of public health and holding administrative positions including General Assistant for the Americas and President of Ecuador’s National Association of Medical Students. He is actively involved in the field of reproductive rights through activism for safe abortion.

Wilhelmina S. Jallah

Wilhelmina S. Jallah is currently Minister of Health for the Republic of Liberia where she is leading the transformation of the country’s health care system. Her efforts have included enhancing transparency, accountability, and good governance; strengthening donor/partner relationships; building a resilient healthcare system that is affordable; complying with the Sustainable Development Goals; and building capacity to ensure that technology helps improve health services and the supply chains of drugs and medical supplies.

Previously, Dr. Jallah served as the Founder, CEO, and Medical Director of the Hope for Women International Medical Center Liberia Inc. During this time she oversaw the provision of health services to over 50,000 patients, and played a critical role in Liberia’s response to the Ebola Crisis. Prior to this, Dr. Jallah served as Acting Head and Educator for the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, and Director for the Gynecological Cancer Program at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital.

Manoj Jhalani

Manoj Jhalani is the Additional Secretary & Mission Director, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India. MP cadre IAS officer of 1987 batch. He has an extremely rich and wide experience in leading, coordinating, and monitoring the design and implementation of policies and programmes of social and economic development at district, state and national level .

He was Joint Secretary (Policy) in the MOHFW between 2012 and 2017 and presently he is Additional Secretary in the Ministry holding the position of Mission Director of National Health Mission, the flagship programme of Government of India. He is also associated with Ayushman Bharat – the new key initiative of Government of India towards Universal Health Coverage that aims to strengthen comprehensive primary healthcare on foundation of 150,000 Health & Wellness Centres and PM-National Health Protection Mission to provide insurance cover to over 500 million people from disadvantaged sections. He also oversees and coordinates the progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 3 for India. Jhalani holds a B. Tech. in Electrical Engineering from I.I.T., Kanpur and an MBA in Public Service from the University of Birmingham, U.K. with distinction.

Fannie Kachale

Fannie Kachale is a Registered Nurse/Midwife working as a Director of the Reproductive Health Unit in the Malawi Ministry of Health. She previously worked as a Chief Nursing Officer for Kamuzu Central Hospital and served as the Chairperson of the Board for the Family Planning Association of Malawi till November 2014. She is currently on the advisory committee for Mamaye, a Malawian campaign aimed to improve maternal and newborn survival. She has supported many local projects that promote community involvement and bridge the gaps between providers and users of reproductive health services. Mrs. Kachale facilitates the work of Options in implementing Results based Financing for Maternal and Neonatal Health, a pilot being done in 4 districts in Malawi. Mrs. Kachale has participated in numerous international meetings to contribute to the global dialogue around promoting sexual and reproductive health rights in Malawi and globally. Her coauthored publications in peer-reviewed journals focus on addressing inequities and quality in maternal and newborn health services. She holds a BSc in Nursing from the Kamuzu College of Nursing in Malawi and an MS in Nursing with Research in Reproductive Health from the University of Namibia. She is currently studying for a PhD in Interprofessional Health Care Leadership with Kamuzu College of Nursing.

Oly Ilunga Kalenga

Oly Ilunga Kalenga is the Minister of Public Health for Democratic Republic of Congo. . Oly Ilunga Kalenga is a doctor of medicine, specialized in intensive care, and has over thirty years of practical experience. He started as an assistant before becoming a specialist in internal medicine, head of the intensive care unit, and finally, Medical Director and Managing Director/CEO from January 2013 to December 2016. Since the year 2000, Dr. Ilunga has worked as an external consultant for the Ministry of Health of Kinshasa during his holidays, and helped establish national health accounts to study financial flows in this sector. Kalenga undertook his medical studies at the University of Namur and completed them at the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) in Woluwe. After his PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology, he obtained an MBA from the IAG-Louvain School of Management (UCL), with a specialization in Health economics.

Natalia Kanem

Natalia Kanem is the Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Dr. Kanem has more than 30 years of strategic leadership experience in medicine, public and reproductive health, social justice and philanthropy. She started her career in academia with the Johns Hopkins and Columbia University schools of medicine and public health. While serving as a Ford Foundation Officer from 1992 to 2005, she helped pioneer work in women’s reproductive health and sexuality, in particular through her position as the representative for West Africa. She then served at the Foundation headquarters, becoming Deputy Vice-President for its worldwide peace and social justice programmes in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and North America. From 2014 to 2016, Dr. Kanem served as UNFPA Representative in the United Republic of Tanzania. In July 2016, she was named Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA in charge of programmes. Dr. Kanem was founding president of ELMA Philanthropies Inc., a private institution focusing primarily on children and youth in Africa. She also has been a senior associate of the Lloyd Best Institute of the West Indies. Dr. Kanem holds a medical degree from Columbia University, New York, and a Master’s degree in Public Health, with specializations in epidemiology and preventive medicine, from the University of Washington, Seattle. She is also a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she studied history and science.

Kamal Khera

Kamal Khera is the Member of the Canadian Parliament representing Brampton West and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development. Ms. Khera has held a diverse set of positions in Government; previously holding the titles of: Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue. She is a registered nurse, community volunteer and a political activist. A first-generation Canadian, Ms. Khera immigrated to Canada from Delhi, India at a very young age.

Drawn to assisting others, Ms. Khera gained diverse experience within the field of Health through her professional experience with Centre of Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), Peel Family Shelter, and William Osler Health Centre. Ms. Khera worked as a registered nurse in the Oncology Unit at St Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto, which gave her a deep understanding of the issues that impact individuals every day.

Ms. Khera is an active member of her community, she has served as chairperson of South Asian Canadians Heritage Foundation, mentor and program coordinator at Big Brother Big Sister of Peel, and event coordinator with Sick Kids Foundation. Ms. Khera attended York University where she earned an Honours Bachelors of Science in Psychology and an Honours Bachelors of Science in Nursing.

Manoj Kohli

Manoj Kolhi is the Executive Chairman of SB Energy leading the solar generation business to execute a vision of 20GW as well as supporting EV development in India. SB Energy is executing the world’s largest 200GW solar project in Saudi Arabia as well as large projects in Africa. It is pursuing RPO deals with MNCs for large scale solar plants for steel, aluminium, cement and energy guzzling sectors.

Earlier Manoj was the Managing Director and CEO, Bharti Airtel, for operations across Asia and Africa in 20 countries till 2015. He joined Bharti Airtel in 2002 as President of Mobile Services business and led operations to grow from 2m to the third largest telco in the world with over 300 million customers. He led formation of Indus/Infratel, the second largest tower company in the world for infrastructural synergies.

Manoj started his career in HR in 1979 with the DCM Shriram Group and held business leadership positions in the Foods and Chemicals businesses and with Shriram Refrigeration and Shriram Honda. Manoj was Chairman, Public Policy Committee and Board Member of GSMA in 2008 and 2012.Manoj holds degrees in Commerce, Law and MBA from Delhi University. He attended "Executive Business Program” at Michigan and “Advanced Management Program” at Wharton.

Elizabeth Lule

Elizabeth Lule is an award-winning executive, entrepreneur, author and a regular media commentator and speaker on world-changing stages and in powerful backrooms. She is an expert in the intersections of politics, policy and behavioural science. She is co-founder and Executive Chairman of Apolitical, a tech start-up with a mission to accelerate the transformation of government needed to tackle the world’s hardest problems, now used by public servants in over 140 countries. It was named one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies in the world in 2018 alongside Starbucks and Patagonia. For over 20 years she has applied insights from behavioural science to policy, politics and social change through companies and movements she co-led or founded, including Fenton, Assembly for and Without Violence. She has worked in government and founded political training institutes around the world. She was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (WEF). She is the co-chair of the WEF’s Agile Governance Global Future Council and has served on the boards of numerous companies.

Juliana Lungazi

Juliana Lunguzi is a Member of Parliament for Dedza East, Malawi. She is the Shadow Minister for Health in the Malawi Congress Party and chairs the parliamentary committee on health. Dr Lunguzi is a registered Nurse/Midwife with a career in public health and development management. From 2002, Dr. Lunguzi successfully led several national and international initiatives within the health and youth sectors and collaborated with others in other development sectors on public health and rights issues. She has led multi-scale operations, including in emergency and crisis situations. In 2010, Dr. Lunguzi was elected to the office of President of the UN Staff Association in Malawi. Dr. Lunguzi is a life-long advocate for Women and the Girl Child who, during the course of her career, has invested in advocating for women and girls child issues.

Dr. Juliana Lunguzi holds a Diploma in Nursing and Certificate in Midwifery from the University of Malawi, Kamuzu College of Nursing; a Bachelor’s degree in Science (Nursing) from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, U.S.A; and a Master’s degree in Science on Community Health Nursing from Valparaiso University, Indiana, U.S.A.