Faces of Africa: Hopkins African Public Health Conference 2024

Abdul K. Ahmed

Dr.

Columbia University Mailma School of Public Health

Dr. A. Kayum Ahmed, a South African activist-scholar, is an Assistant Professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. He teaches health and human rights advocacy and leads the Health and Human Rights Certificate program. Dr. Ahmed also serves as a Special Advisor on the right to health at Human Rights Watch. His work includes ensuring equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines and teaching socio-economic rights and decoloniality. Previously, he was the CEO of the South African Human Rights Commission, overseeing cases related to socio-economic rights, discrimination, and more. Dr. Ahmed holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and various law degrees. His research interests span human rights, vaccine justice, Indigenous knowledge, and decolonization of global health systems

Dr. Ahmed E. Ogwell Ouma

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laktarr/

Dr. Ahmed Ogwell Ouma is a distinguished Kenyan public health expert and former Acting Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). With a background in dental surgery and public health, Dr. Ouma has dedicated his career to combating non-communicable diseases and enhancing health security. At Africa CDC, he has been instrumental in leading strategic operations and fostering partnerships with African Union Member States. His tenure as Deputy Director saw him at the forefront of the COVID-19 response, emphasizing the New Public Health Order—a vision for Africa to autonomously set health priorities and solutions. Dr. Ouma’s advocacy for this paradigm shift underscores his commitment to empowering Africa in global health security and ensuring the continent’s voice is heard in the international arena

Bareng Aletta Sanny Nonyane

Dr

Julianne Weis

https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianne-weis-b7b11433/

Julianne is a specialist in reproductive, maternal, and child health with over ten years of experience conducting formative and operational research, directing monitoring, evaluation, and learning, and designing and managing programs1. She is the Senior Family Planning and Reproductive Health Research Advisor at the USAID Global Health Bureau, Office of Population and Reproductive Health. In this role, she manages social science implementation research projects, develops research designs and methodologies, and conducts innovative qualitative research activities.

Dr. Bamba Gaye

Dr. Bamba Gaye is a prominent figure in global health, particularly in the realm of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) research in Africa. As the Co-founder and General Secretary of the African Research Network for Cardiovascular Diseases (ARNcd), Dr. Gaye has been pivotal in fostering collaborative research across the continent. His work involves coordinating with 37 medical centers and 14 universities in over 20 sub-Saharan African countries. Dr. Gaye’s research focuses on the epidemiology of NCDs, seeking innovative interventions and understanding risk factors prevalent in Africa. His leadership in ARNcd exemplifies his commitment to advancing health research in Africa through partnerships, capacity building, and the promotion of local expertise. Dr. Gaye’s efforts are crucial in addressing the growing burden of NCDs and enhancing the global health landscape through African-led initiatives and knowledge-sharing networks.

Desmond Tanko

Demond Tanko is one of the co-founders and co-hosts of Global Health Unfiltered, a platform that includes a podcast and blog addressing the unspoken realities of global health, particularly in Africa and the world at large1. The podcast aims to shed light on stories and realities often left out of mainstream global health discourse1. It’s a groundbreaking series that highlights the contributions of Africans to global health challenges and discusses decolonization from the perspective of African researchers and practitioners.

Adaeze Oreh

Dr.

Dr. Adaeze Oreh, a Consultant Family Physician and the Honourable Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, Nigeria, has extensive experience in private and public healthcare. She previously served as the Country Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics for Nigeria’s National Blood Service Commission (NBSC), actively contributing to the enactment of the National Blood Service Commission Act 2021. Dr. Oreh secured a grant from the Fund for Innovation in Development (FID) for an innovative transfusion technology to address blood shortages in Nigeria. Her expertise extends to health policy, medical education, and global health. She holds degrees from the University of Nigeria, Imperial College, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Oreh’s contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic included risk communication through media interviews and editorials. She is also involved in blood donor recruitment initiatives in Africa.

Prof Adeyi Olusoji

OLUSOJI adeyi is the President of Resilient Health Systems and a Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is the author of “Global Health in Practice: Investing Amidst Pandemics, Denial of Evidence, and Neo-dependency.” Previously at the World Bank, Dr. Adeyi served as Director of the Health, Nutrition, and Population Global Practice, and Senior Advisor for Human Development. He was the founding Director of the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) at the Global Fund. Dr Adeyi earned his bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Ife in Nigeria, MCommH from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, MBA from Imperial College London and University of London, and DrPH from the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr Malick ANNE Médecin

Dr. Malick Anne is a dedicated public health specialist from Senegal. He holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Faculty of Medicine at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar (UCAD). With over ten years of experience in health system management, 

At the operational level, Dr. Anne coordinated the implementation of programs to combat tuberculosis and HIV. He has been actively involved in projects related to malaria, HIV, and HPV. His commitment to public health led him to champion the fight against malaria in 2018. In 2019, he received the prestigious “International Visitor Leadership Program” scholarship from the US State Department.

Since 2020, Dr. Anne has served as the Head of the Non-Communicable Disease Control Division. In this role, he is responsible for developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating strategies to combat diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Muyiwa Tegbe

PATH

https://www.linkedin.com/in/muyiwategbe/

Dr. Muyiwa Tegbe is a health policy and health financing expert with significant experience in the United States, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. He is currently PATH’s Deputy Director for Primary Health Care, serving as a technical lead for ideation, development, and implementation of PATH's primary health care programs and interventions. 

A medical doctor interested in developing financially sustainable health systems, he joined PATH in September 2021. He provides senior advisory support and thought partnership to country decision-makers to design and implement innovative demand and supply-side financing interventions that increase financial risk protection for populations, increase financing for country health systems and optimize health outcomes. 

In 2008, he obtained his MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.