2026 English faculty
Speakers and facilitators
Ahmet
Afşar
UNICEF
Edwin
Asturias
University of ColoradoSchool of Medicine
Ananda
Bandyopadhyay
Gates Foundation
Isobel
Blake
Imperial CollegeLondon
Fiona
Braka
WHO Ghana
Katy
Clark
Gavi
Farhan
Cyprian
Qatar University
Kathleen
Duclos
University of Geneva
Ticky
Esoh Ebongue
World Health Organization
Habib Hasan
Farooqui
Qatar University
Suchita
Guntakatta
Gates Foundation
Peggy
Hanna
WHO EMRO
Louise
Henaff
University of Geneva
David
Heymann
London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine
Mohammad Jamil
Khatatneh
MOPH, Qatar
Ondrej
Mach
WHO
Jeevan Kumar
Makam
UNICEF HQ New York
Zubin
Malhotra
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
Hebah Atef
Mohammad AlKhatib
Qatar University
Heather
Monnet
Kinaura
Naureen
Naqvi
UNICEF
Modjirom
Ndoutabe
WHO – Republic of Congo
Deo
Nshimirimana
Independent GlobalHealth Consultant
Hanan Abdul
Rahim
Qatar University
Lee Ariana
Rasheed
Salma Consulting
Giridhara
Rathnaiah Babu
Qatar University
Kamel
Senouci
Director PVAC, University of Geneva
Mohamed
Somane Abdi
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
Hemant
Shukla
WHO – Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office
Osman Mohamed Yussuf
Centre for Humanitarian DialogueAhmet Afşar
Cold chain and logistics specialist covering vaccine management, Polio Outbreak Team
Switzerland
Dr. Ahmet Afşar is a public health expert specializing in vaccine and pharmaceutical supply chain management with more than three decades of working experience in health logistics, M&E, and capacity building.
He started working at provincial and national levels in the Turkish Ministry of Health and managed various health programs on maternal health, immunization, and polio eradication.
As an independent consultant, he has supported international organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA on supply chain evaluation and improvement in numerous developing and middle/high-income countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
He is the cold chain and logistics specialist covering vaccine management in the UNICEF HQ Polio Outbreak Team.
He started working at provincial and national levels in the Turkish Ministry of Health and managed various health programs on maternal health, immunization, and polio eradication.
As an independent consultant, he has supported international organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA on supply chain evaluation and improvement in numerous developing and middle/high-income countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
He is the cold chain and logistics specialist covering vaccine management in the UNICEF HQ Polio Outbreak Team.
Peggy Hanna
Polio TAG, WHO AFRO
Lebanon
Peggy E. Hanna is a multilingual public health and strategic communication specialist with over 35 years of international experience across the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, West Pacific and South Asia. She brings deep expertise in Social and Behaviour Change (SBC), Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), Infodemic Management and inclusive communication strategies, with a career spanning senior consultancies for UNICEF, WHO, UNFPA, World Bank and leading academic institutions.
Peggy has supported governments and UN country offices in more than 20 countries, leading the design and localization of evidence based SBC and RCCE strategies for communicable diseases and epidemic-prone diseases including Polio, Covid-19, Mpox, Ebola, Cholera, Dengue, as well as for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response, routine immunization, maternal and child health, WASH, vaccine demand generation and introduction, and complex humanitarian emergencies, including in conflict-affected settings. Her work includes developing national and regional capacity building programs, advancing gender sensitive and disability inclusive communication, and strengthening social listening and behavioral insights systems.
She is currently a member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group (TAG)for Polio Eradication in Afghanistan and Pakistan leading the SBC technical pillar. She serves as a key expert in Joint External Evaluations, National Action Plans for Health Security, Intra and After-Action Review missions, contributed to global and regional RCCE frameworks and SOPs, and facilitated high level trainings across WHO’s EMRO, SEARO, EURO and WPRO regions. Peggy also brings extensive experience in higher education, curriculum development, and team building facilitation.
Peggy has supported governments and UN country offices in more than 20 countries, leading the design and localization of evidence based SBC and RCCE strategies for communicable diseases and epidemic-prone diseases including Polio, Covid-19, Mpox, Ebola, Cholera, Dengue, as well as for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and response, routine immunization, maternal and child health, WASH, vaccine demand generation and introduction, and complex humanitarian emergencies, including in conflict-affected settings. Her work includes developing national and regional capacity building programs, advancing gender sensitive and disability inclusive communication, and strengthening social listening and behavioral insights systems.
She is currently a member of the WHO Technical Advisory Group (TAG)for Polio Eradication in Afghanistan and Pakistan leading the SBC technical pillar. She serves as a key expert in Joint External Evaluations, National Action Plans for Health Security, Intra and After-Action Review missions, contributed to global and regional RCCE frameworks and SOPs, and facilitated high level trainings across WHO’s EMRO, SEARO, EURO and WPRO regions. Peggy also brings extensive experience in higher education, curriculum development, and team building facilitation.
Edwin Asturias
Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology
USA
Dr. Edwin Asturias is a pediatric infectious disease specialist and professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, where he is also the Director of Latin American Projects at the Center for Global Health. He holds the Jules Amer chair in community pediatrics. He earned his medical degree from San Carlos University in Guatemala in 1989 and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Colorado in 1995. He further specialized in pediatric infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. His career has been marked by significant contributions to the study and control of infectious diseases thru vaccines. Dr. Asturias has conducted numerous epidemiological studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vaccines against poliomyelitis, especially leading the initial studies on the combined use of bOPV-IPV that provided the evidence for the polio switch in resource-poor countries. Dr. Asturias has served on the Guatemalan National Committee for Immunization Practices and the Poliovirus Contention Commission, the World Health Organization Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, and currently a voting member to the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices in the United States of America. He has also served as part of the Scientific Committee and helps coordinate and evaluate the Advance Vaccinology Course of the University of Geneva for the past 20 years.
Dr. Asturias continues to play a vital role in advancing our understanding of infectious diseases and improving vaccine policies to protect vulnerable populations worldwide.
Dr. Asturias continues to play a vital role in advancing our understanding of infectious diseases and improving vaccine policies to protect vulnerable populations worldwide.
Isobel Blake
Senior Lecturer
United Kingdom
Isobel is an infectious disease epidemiologist and a Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London. She works in the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health and leads a research group conducting polio analysis and modelling, who are a collaborating partner of WHO. Her research focuses on assessing vaccine effectiveness and population immunity from both oral and inactivated polio vaccines, quantifying the risk of poliovirus spatial spread, estimating the risk of emergence of vaccine-derived polioviruses and quantifying drivers of timely surveillance. Her research uses both mathematical and statistical methods to analyse polio surveillance and vaccination data, with a particular focus on identifying spatial heterogeneities. She has published in over 40 peer-reviewed medical journals (including New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet Infectious Diseases and PLOS Medicine), and her research is aimed at having direct programmatic relevance to GPEI whereby she is a member of several Global Polio Eradication Initiative Global Program Support groups.
Isobel obtained her PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London, modelling the neglected tropical disease trachoma. In addition to working on polio over the last ten years she was also part of the WHO Ebola Response Team, who provided real-time epidemiological analyses during the West African Ebola outbreak 2013-2015, and she is part of a collaboration with icddrb and University of Virginia evaluating the use of sewage surveillance for multiple infectious diseases for public health impact.
Isobel obtained her PhD in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College London, modelling the neglected tropical disease trachoma. In addition to working on polio over the last ten years she was also part of the WHO Ebola Response Team, who provided real-time epidemiological analyses during the West African Ebola outbreak 2013-2015, and she is part of a collaboration with icddrb and University of Virginia evaluating the use of sewage surveillance for multiple infectious diseases for public health impact.
Fiona Braka
Country Representative to Ghana
Ghana
Dr Fiona Braka is a Public Health expert from Uganda with over two decades of progressive experience in disease prevention and control, public health emergency management, strategic leadership and coordination.
Prior to her appointment as WHO Representative to Ghana, she served in different capacities at national and international level with the World Health Organization in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Uganda, where she led large and diverse teams to advance primary health care and health security. She most recently served as the Coordinator of Emergency Response Operations at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) based in Brazzaville, Congo for four years. At AFRO, her role entailed leadership of response operations to acute and protracted health emergencies including disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises across 47 countries of the AFRO region; and coordination of support to member states to strengthen their local capacities for health security.
Dr Braka led the WHO effort to eradicate wild polio virus in Nigeria, which led to the certification of the African region as wild polio virus free in 2020. She has supported countries in sub–Saharan Africa particularly Nigeria, Ethiopia and Uganda where she served as Immunization Team Lead, to strengthen their national vaccination programs while expanding access to broader primary health services in advancement of Universal health coverage and health-related SDGs.
Dr Braka has published widely in peer-review journals and continues to strive to contribute to advancement of scientific knowledge and evidence through different platforms. She holds a Medical Degree from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and a Master of Public Health Degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland, USA.
Prior to her appointment as WHO Representative to Ghana, she served in different capacities at national and international level with the World Health Organization in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Uganda, where she led large and diverse teams to advance primary health care and health security. She most recently served as the Coordinator of Emergency Response Operations at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (AFRO) based in Brazzaville, Congo for four years. At AFRO, her role entailed leadership of response operations to acute and protracted health emergencies including disease outbreaks and humanitarian crises across 47 countries of the AFRO region; and coordination of support to member states to strengthen their local capacities for health security.
Dr Braka led the WHO effort to eradicate wild polio virus in Nigeria, which led to the certification of the African region as wild polio virus free in 2020. She has supported countries in sub–Saharan Africa particularly Nigeria, Ethiopia and Uganda where she served as Immunization Team Lead, to strengthen their national vaccination programs while expanding access to broader primary health services in advancement of Universal health coverage and health-related SDGs.
Dr Braka has published widely in peer-review journals and continues to strive to contribute to advancement of scientific knowledge and evidence through different platforms. She holds a Medical Degree from Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and a Master of Public Health Degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland, USA.
Lee Ariana Rasheed
Technical Director
Salma Consulting
Salma Consulting
Türkiye
Lee Rasheed is a social researcher and Technical Director at Salma Consulting with over 15 years of experience conducting research and evaluation, with a particular focus on Afghanistan. Her expertise centers on gender, social norms, institutions and community behavior, including more than a decade examining the social and institutional dimensions of polio eradication and immunization in Afghanistan.
Her work for polio and immunization actors has included national-level knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) studies, research on persistent and hard refusals, and gender assessments of polio and routine immunization programs. She examines vaccination as both a public health and social issue, exploring how household decision-making, trust, gender relations, community perceptions and conflict shape vaccination uptake and access. Her research also examines the institutional dimensions of program delivery, including gender regimes within health institutions and frontline workers’ experiences in high-risk and conflict-affected settings.
Lee has led mixed-methods research and evaluations on polio and immunization for UN agencies, international NGOs, government institutions and the Gates Foundation. She is also a PhD researcher at the University of Sussex, where her research examines gender, power and social norms in Afghanistan.
Her work for polio and immunization actors has included national-level knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) studies, research on persistent and hard refusals, and gender assessments of polio and routine immunization programs. She examines vaccination as both a public health and social issue, exploring how household decision-making, trust, gender relations, community perceptions and conflict shape vaccination uptake and access. Her research also examines the institutional dimensions of program delivery, including gender regimes within health institutions and frontline workers’ experiences in high-risk and conflict-affected settings.
Lee has led mixed-methods research and evaluations on polio and immunization for UN agencies, international NGOs, government institutions and the Gates Foundation. She is also a PhD researcher at the University of Sussex, where her research examines gender, power and social norms in Afghanistan.
Hamad Eid Al Romaihi
Consultant, Community Medicine and Head of Surveillance and Outbreak Control, Supreme Council of Health, Qatar
Qatar
Dr. Hamad Eid Al Romaihi is a Senior Consultant in Community Medicine and Director of the Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control Department at Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health. He earned his medical degree from Arabian Gulf University’s Medical College in Bahrain, completed his Arab Board training in Community Medicine in Qatar, and holds a Fellowship in Travel Medicine from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
He oversees Qatar’s National Vaccination Program, and the implementation of immunization initiatives under the National Health Strategy (NHS), with a focus on expanding vaccine coverage and improving efforts against vaccine-preventable diseases.
He serves as a non-core member of Qatar’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and contributes to the National Certification Committee (NCC) for Polio, by providing data on the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, including acute flaccid paralysis (AFP).
Dr. Al Romaihi regularly attends global and regional forums on polio eradication, such as the WHO’s Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks, contributing to the advancement of vaccination strategies and public health policies to meet the polio eradication targets.
He oversees Qatar’s National Vaccination Program, and the implementation of immunization initiatives under the National Health Strategy (NHS), with a focus on expanding vaccine coverage and improving efforts against vaccine-preventable diseases.
He serves as a non-core member of Qatar’s National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) and contributes to the National Certification Committee (NCC) for Polio, by providing data on the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, including acute flaccid paralysis (AFP).
Dr. Al Romaihi regularly attends global and regional forums on polio eradication, such as the WHO’s Regional Subcommittee for Polio Eradication and Outbreaks, contributing to the advancement of vaccination strategies and public health policies to meet the polio eradication targets.
Suchita Guntakatta
Deputy Director, Global Development Polio team
USA
Suchita Guntakatta is the Deputy Director, for the Global Development Polio team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In this capacity, she is responsible for leading the strategic, financial, partners management, risk and problem resolution, and operational activities and processes for the team. A significant part of the role is to be the interface internally with the other divisions and operations groups across the foundation as well as externally as a foundation representative within the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partnership.
Suchita brings over 15 years of corporate and management consulting experience in strategy planning, operations, and portfolio management. Prior to joining the foundation, Suchita was Vice President, Corporate Operations Strategy & Planning with Discovery Communications, Inc. During her time at Discovery Communications, she worked on assisting and guiding the process to translate corporate strategy into day-to-day operations.
Prior to Discovery Communications, she was at Accenture for 10 years as a management consultant working with technology and media companies. During her time with Accenture, she worked on organizational performance and restructuring projects for her client. She also has experience with process design, re-engineering and improvement efforts that included change management activities to implement the change effectively.
Suchita works out of the Gates Foundation Washington, D.C. office, been with the foundation since March 2009 and is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She has been involved within her community through the years in volunteer programs teaching low-income adults go back for their high school diplomas, working with women’s groups providing educational support and microfinance loans to women survivors of war and poverty.
Suchita brings over 15 years of corporate and management consulting experience in strategy planning, operations, and portfolio management. Prior to joining the foundation, Suchita was Vice President, Corporate Operations Strategy & Planning with Discovery Communications, Inc. During her time at Discovery Communications, she worked on assisting and guiding the process to translate corporate strategy into day-to-day operations.
Prior to Discovery Communications, she was at Accenture for 10 years as a management consultant working with technology and media companies. During her time with Accenture, she worked on organizational performance and restructuring projects for her client. She also has experience with process design, re-engineering and improvement efforts that included change management activities to implement the change effectively.
Suchita works out of the Gates Foundation Washington, D.C. office, been with the foundation since March 2009 and is a graduate of the University of Maryland. She has been involved within her community through the years in volunteer programs teaching low-income adults go back for their high school diplomas, working with women’s groups providing educational support and microfinance loans to women survivors of war and poverty.
Ondrej Mach
Team Leader, Research and Product Development Team, Polio Eradication Department, WHO
Switzerland
Dr. Ondrej Mach is a Team Leader of the Research and Product Development Team within the Polio Eradication Department of the World Health Organization (WHO) based in Geneva. In his capacity he is responsible to manage polio related studies and clinical trials and to support polio eradication efforts in the high priority countries.
Prior to his engagement at the WHO, Dr Mach worked for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC) as an epidemiologist; and prior to that he practiced family medicine in various countries such as Bolivia, Burundi or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dr. Mach graduated from the medical school in Prague and obtained his Public Health Degree at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He also graduated from the Epidemic Intelligence Service fellowship at the CDC.
Prior to his engagement at the WHO, Dr Mach worked for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC) as an epidemiologist; and prior to that he practiced family medicine in various countries such as Bolivia, Burundi or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dr. Mach graduated from the medical school in Prague and obtained his Public Health Degree at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He also graduated from the Epidemic Intelligence Service fellowship at the CDC.
Ziad A. Memish
Advisor, King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center
Professor, College of Medicine
Professor, College of Medicine
Saudi Arabia
Ziad Memish is currently an Advisor to the Supervisor General of King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Center (KSrelief) for Medical & Humanitarian Research. Professor of infectious diseases at the College of Medicine in Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He obtained his MD from the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada in 1987 and is Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Infectious Diseases as well as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Canada, Edinburgh, and London) and the American College of Physicians. He received the King Abdulaziz Medal from the first degree in 2007, the highest national award for his achievements in Infectious diseases and infection control in KSA also received Minister of Health Award for leadership in research for over 10 years in 2019. A Highly Cited Researchers” for exceptional research performance by production of multiple highly cited papers (those that rank in the top 1% by citation in the field) by the Web of Science (Clarivate analytics) 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. Awarded the “the Health Research Excellence: Lifetime achievement award” by Research Development & Innovation Authority Oct 2024. He is the EIC of 4 medical journals, presented extensively nationally and internationally and has published more than 900 papers and book chapters.
He obtained his MD from the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada in 1987 and is Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Infectious Diseases as well as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Canada, Edinburgh, and London) and the American College of Physicians. He received the King Abdulaziz Medal from the first degree in 2007, the highest national award for his achievements in Infectious diseases and infection control in KSA also received Minister of Health Award for leadership in research for over 10 years in 2019. A Highly Cited Researchers” for exceptional research performance by production of multiple highly cited papers (those that rank in the top 1% by citation in the field) by the Web of Science (Clarivate analytics) 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. Awarded the “the Health Research Excellence: Lifetime achievement award” by Research Development & Innovation Authority Oct 2024. He is the EIC of 4 medical journals, presented extensively nationally and internationally and has published more than 900 papers and book chapters.
Modjirom Ndoutabe
Independant Expert
Tchad
Ndoutabe Modjirom is a Medical Officer and Expert in Public Health and Community Medecine. He is a Lecturer rank B at the University National of Cote d’Ivoire (now University Felix Houphouet Boigny). He was the head of the Center for International Immunization at the National Institute of Hygien Public (INHP, Cote d’Ivoire) from 1997 to 2003.
He joined WHO in February 2003 and was appointed as Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Focal Person for Mali (duty station Bamako). In April 2011, he was appointed the Polio Focal Person for West African Countries at IST (Inter-country Support Team) located in Ouagadougou. In February 2018, he was deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to coordinate Polio Campaigns. It was the beginning of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Coordination in the country with the aim to coordinate all the agencies involved in Polio Eradication Programme (GPEI). In September 2019, all agencies involved into GPEI put in place the Rapid Response Team for Polio outbreaks in Africa (RRT). The main objective of this RRT is to speed the process of all activities related to Polio Outbreaks in order to stop quickly the circulation of poliovirus in Africa. He was then appointed to Coordinate this structure since September 2019 until January 2026, when he retired from WHO.
After his retirement, he continues supporting Polio Eradication Programme through Lake Chad Basin Task Force as a plaidoyer to the Ministers of Health from the 5 countries.
He joined WHO in February 2003 and was appointed as Immunization and Vaccines Development (IVD) Focal Person for Mali (duty station Bamako). In April 2011, he was appointed the Polio Focal Person for West African Countries at IST (Inter-country Support Team) located in Ouagadougou. In February 2018, he was deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to coordinate Polio Campaigns. It was the beginning of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Coordination in the country with the aim to coordinate all the agencies involved in Polio Eradication Programme (GPEI). In September 2019, all agencies involved into GPEI put in place the Rapid Response Team for Polio outbreaks in Africa (RRT). The main objective of this RRT is to speed the process of all activities related to Polio Outbreaks in order to stop quickly the circulation of poliovirus in Africa. He was then appointed to Coordinate this structure since September 2019 until January 2026, when he retired from WHO.
After his retirement, he continues supporting Polio Eradication Programme through Lake Chad Basin Task Force as a plaidoyer to the Ministers of Health from the 5 countries.
Deo Nshimirimana
Independent Global Health Consultant
Burundi
Dr. Deo Nshimirimana is a global health consultant who specializes in health systems’ strengthening with a view to sustainably improving country health system performance. He also specializes in immunization in emergency settings and is the current Chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Preparedness and Response Technical Advisory Group for the African Region.
Dr. Nshimirimana retired from the WHO in 2018 as the WHO Representative in Senegal. Prior to serving in Senegal, he was the Director of the Emergencies, Immunization & Vaccine Development Cluster at the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
After retirement, Dr. Nshimirimana served as acting WHO Representative for 11 months in the DRCongo during the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu province and Ituri. Concurrently, he dealt with a massive measles outbreak (6,000 deaths); multiple cVDPV type 2 outbreaks in different provinces in addition to a cholera outbreak in Eastern DRCongo. Dr. Nshimirimana previously played an active role in Universal Health Coverage scoping missions in DRCongo and Mauritania and currently is a member of the WHO/Africa Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group.
Dr. Nshimirimana retired from the WHO in 2018 as the WHO Representative in Senegal. Prior to serving in Senegal, he was the Director of the Emergencies, Immunization & Vaccine Development Cluster at the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
After retirement, Dr. Nshimirimana served as acting WHO Representative for 11 months in the DRCongo during the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu province and Ituri. Concurrently, he dealt with a massive measles outbreak (6,000 deaths); multiple cVDPV type 2 outbreaks in different provinces in addition to a cholera outbreak in Eastern DRCongo. Dr. Nshimirimana previously played an active role in Universal Health Coverage scoping missions in DRCongo and Mauritania and currently is a member of the WHO/Africa Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group.
Hemant Shukla
Coordinator – Surveillance, Laboratory and Data, Polio Eradication, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office
Jordan
Dr Shukla is currently serving as the Coordinator Surveillance, Laboratory and Data in polio eradication programme at the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of World Health Organization. Prior to taking the current role, Dr Shukla led Country Support team for polio at the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office for more than three years, leading polio outbreak response activities in the region.
Dr Shukla led polio eradication efforts of Afghanistan as the Team Leader for Polio at World Health Organization office for Afghanistan through July 2019. Prior to that appointment, Dr Shukla served at WHO Headquarters, Geneva from 2013 to 2015, supporting Horn of Africa countries in polio outbreak response.
Dr Shukla previously led WHO’s polio eradication and immunization strengthening efforts in Bihar state of India, managing extensive network of more than 1000 field staff.
Dr Shukla completed his M.D. from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India, specializing in Community Medicine and obtained his MBBS degree from Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute, Bangalore University in India.
Dr Shukla led polio eradication efforts of Afghanistan as the Team Leader for Polio at World Health Organization office for Afghanistan through July 2019. Prior to that appointment, Dr Shukla served at WHO Headquarters, Geneva from 2013 to 2015, supporting Horn of Africa countries in polio outbreak response.
Dr Shukla previously led WHO’s polio eradication and immunization strengthening efforts in Bihar state of India, managing extensive network of more than 1000 field staff.
Dr Shukla completed his M.D. from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India, specializing in Community Medicine and obtained his MBBS degree from Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute, Bangalore University in India.
Katy Clark
Senior Program Manager, GAVI
Switzerland
Katy Clark is a seasoned global health and immunization program specialist with extensive experience across Africa, Central America, and Asia. She currently manages Gavi’s IPV, Hexavalent, Pentavalent, and DTP Boosters Programs and serves as the Gavi alternate on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Strategy Committee.
Before joining Gavi, Katy was a field representative for the American Red Cross (ARC) in Kenya, where she managed the Measles & Rubella Partnership Team. In this role, she led ARC’s flagship program to identify zero-dose children and reach missed communities. Prior to her tenure at ARC, Katy served as an immunization officer and project director at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Her work at IFRC focused on building the capacity of IFRC delegations and Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to support immunization and primary health care service delivery, particularly in high-risk polio geographies such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Central African Republic (CAR). Before IFRC, she worked as a public health advisor at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), supporting the Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) Program and CDC’s Ebola vaccine trial in Sierra Leone, among other global immunization initiatives.
Katy’s career in public health began with the Peace Corps in rural Guatemala, where she contributed to community-based health and HIV prevention efforts. She holds an MPH in Health Policy and Global Health from Yale University and a BA in History from UCLA.
Before joining Gavi, Katy was a field representative for the American Red Cross (ARC) in Kenya, where she managed the Measles & Rubella Partnership Team. In this role, she led ARC’s flagship program to identify zero-dose children and reach missed communities. Prior to her tenure at ARC, Katy served as an immunization officer and project director at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Her work at IFRC focused on building the capacity of IFRC delegations and Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to support immunization and primary health care service delivery, particularly in high-risk polio geographies such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Central African Republic (CAR). Before IFRC, she worked as a public health advisor at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), supporting the Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) Program and CDC’s Ebola vaccine trial in Sierra Leone, among other global immunization initiatives.
Katy’s career in public health began with the Peace Corps in rural Guatemala, where she contributed to community-based health and HIV prevention efforts. She holds an MPH in Health Policy and Global Health from Yale University and a BA in History from UCLA.
Rose Ganan Fomban Leke
Emeritus Professor
Cameroon
Emeritus Professor Rose Gana Fomban Leke, Professor of Immunology/ Parasitology, Fellow of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences, The African Academy of Science, The World Academy of Science. Until March 2013, Head of Department at the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde 1, Director of the Biotechnology Centre. Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Medical Research Institute, IMPM, Vice President of the Scientific Committee of Cameroon First Lady’s Research Centre (CIRCB). The 2014 Aggrey-Fraser-Guggisberg Memorial Lecturer at the University of Ghana, awarded Doctor Honoris Causa (DSc).
In 2011, received the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award for Women. Elected International Honorary Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ASTMH in 2015. Has been member of the Canada Gairdner Foundation Global Health Award Advisory Committee. Elected one of nine women as HEROINE OF HEALTH 2018
In 2018, crowned by the Cameroon Medical Council as QUEEN MOTHER OF THE CAMEROONIAN MEDICAL COMMUNITY
FORBES AFRICA April/May 2021 Edition named her as ICON #24.
December 2022 award: Achievement in Global Health Leadership, by the AU and Africa CDC
February 2023, appointed Chair of the Independent Review Committee (IRC) of the GAVI Alliance
Received October 14 in Berlin the 2023 Virchow Prize for Global Health
Received the L OREAL UNESCO INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE AFRCA AND ARAB WORLD May 2024
Chair of the Multilateral Initiative in Malaria (MIM) Secretariat.
Was President of FAIS and Council member of IUIS for two terms.s
Consultant on many committees for the World Health Organization (WHO): the Malaria Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC), The Malaria Elimination Oversight Committee. Chair of the African Regional Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (ARCC) since 1999, and read the declaration on August 25 2020, to announce Africa free from indigenous Wild Polio Virus. One of the six members of the Global Certification Commission (GCC), the member for the African Region.
Been a member and Chair of the African AACHR and the Global ACHR, a Board member of the Global Forum for Health Research, and since 2013 serves on the WHO Emergency Committee for Polio eradication.
Has served as Vice-Chair of first Technical Evaluation Reference group (TERG) of the Global Fund.
Has been very effective in training the next generation of scientists, MDs, MSc, PhD, national and international, and continues to do so through the HIGHER WOMEN CONSORTIUM CAMEROON, a holistic mentoring program, one of her very successful initiatives.
In 2011, received the African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Award for Women. Elected International Honorary Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ASTMH in 2015. Has been member of the Canada Gairdner Foundation Global Health Award Advisory Committee. Elected one of nine women as HEROINE OF HEALTH 2018
In 2018, crowned by the Cameroon Medical Council as QUEEN MOTHER OF THE CAMEROONIAN MEDICAL COMMUNITY
FORBES AFRICA April/May 2021 Edition named her as ICON #24.
December 2022 award: Achievement in Global Health Leadership, by the AU and Africa CDC
February 2023, appointed Chair of the Independent Review Committee (IRC) of the GAVI Alliance
Received October 14 in Berlin the 2023 Virchow Prize for Global Health
Received the L OREAL UNESCO INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE AFRCA AND ARAB WORLD May 2024
Chair of the Multilateral Initiative in Malaria (MIM) Secretariat.
Was President of FAIS and Council member of IUIS for two terms.s
Consultant on many committees for the World Health Organization (WHO): the Malaria Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC), The Malaria Elimination Oversight Committee. Chair of the African Regional Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (ARCC) since 1999, and read the declaration on August 25 2020, to announce Africa free from indigenous Wild Polio Virus. One of the six members of the Global Certification Commission (GCC), the member for the African Region.
Been a member and Chair of the African AACHR and the Global ACHR, a Board member of the Global Forum for Health Research, and since 2013 serves on the WHO Emergency Committee for Polio eradication.
Has served as Vice-Chair of first Technical Evaluation Reference group (TERG) of the Global Fund.
Has been very effective in training the next generation of scientists, MDs, MSc, PhD, national and international, and continues to do so through the HIGHER WOMEN CONSORTIUM CAMEROON, a holistic mentoring program, one of her very successful initiatives.
Zubin Malhotra
Humanitarian Mediation
Switzerland
Zubin Malhotra joined HD in 2021. He works across HD’s humanitarian mediation initiatives. Currently, he oversees HD’s humanitarian work in Somalia and contributes to engagements in the Middle East and South and Central Asia.
Previously, Malhotra worked on humanitarian emergencies with the World Health Organization, Geneva Call and other international humanitarian organizations, primarily in the Middle East.
He holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Monash University, Melbourne.
Previously, Malhotra worked on humanitarian emergencies with the World Health Organization, Geneva Call and other international humanitarian organizations, primarily in the Middle East.
He holds degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Monash University, Melbourne.
David Heymann
Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
UK
David Heymann is a medical epidemiologist and Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. From 2009 to 2017 he was chair of the UK Health Protection Agency and then Public Health England, and during this period he also led the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House (London). From 1989 to 2009 Heymann held various leadership positions in infectious diseases at WHO, and in 2003 headed the WHO global response to SARS in his role as executive director of communicable diseases. In 1976, after spending two years working in India on smallpox eradication, Heymann was a member of the CDC (Atlanta) team to investigate the first Ebola outbreak in DRC and stayed on in sub-Saharan Africa for 13 years in various field research positions on Ebola, monkeypox, Lassa Fever, malaria and other tropical diseases. Heymann has published over 275 peer reviewed articles and book chapters, is editor of the Control of Communicable Diseases Manual, and is an elected member of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the US National Academy of Medicine. In 2009 he was named an Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to global health.
Osman Mohamed Yussuf
Humanitarian Access & Negotiation Specialist | Strategic Advisor | Operational Lead
Kenya
I am a seasoned humanitarian access and negotiation specialist with more than two decades of experience leading and supporting complex humanitarian operations across Somalia and Kenya. I currently work with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), where I support humanitarian access negotiations, stakeholder engagement, and strategic facilitation to expand humanitarian and operational reach in hard-to-access and conflict-affected areas.
Throughout my career, I have worked with leading international humanitarian organizations, including CARE, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Through these roles, I have played a critical part in facilitating humanitarian access, sustaining field operations, and supporting the delivery of life-saving assistance in some of the region’s most complex and challenging environments.
My expertise spans humanitarian access strategy, high-level negotiations, humanitarian diplomacy, conflict-sensitive programming, stakeholder mapping, operational coordination, and risk management. I have successfully built trust and maintained constructive relationships with communities, local authorities, government institutions, and non-state actors to facilitate humanitarian access and enable the delivery of life-saving interventions where traditional humanitarian pathways have been constrained.
I have also supported major donor-funded initiatives, including programs linked to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, particularly in the areas of polio eradication, health systems strengthening, nutrition, resilience, and emergency response. My work has contributed to expanding essential service delivery into previously inaccessible communities and strengthening adaptive programming in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
With deep contextual knowledge of the Horn of Africa and extensive field-based experience in humanitarian operations, I bring a strong ability to bridge gaps between communities, humanitarian actors, authorities, and donors. I am particularly experienced in navigating complex political, security, and operational environments and developing practical access strategies that enable humanitarian organizations to reach vulnerable populations in a principled, safe, effective, and sustainable manner.
Throughout my career, I have worked with leading international humanitarian organizations, including CARE, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Through these roles, I have played a critical part in facilitating humanitarian access, sustaining field operations, and supporting the delivery of life-saving assistance in some of the region’s most complex and challenging environments.
My expertise spans humanitarian access strategy, high-level negotiations, humanitarian diplomacy, conflict-sensitive programming, stakeholder mapping, operational coordination, and risk management. I have successfully built trust and maintained constructive relationships with communities, local authorities, government institutions, and non-state actors to facilitate humanitarian access and enable the delivery of life-saving interventions where traditional humanitarian pathways have been constrained.
I have also supported major donor-funded initiatives, including programs linked to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, particularly in the areas of polio eradication, health systems strengthening, nutrition, resilience, and emergency response. My work has contributed to expanding essential service delivery into previously inaccessible communities and strengthening adaptive programming in fragile and conflict-affected contexts.
With deep contextual knowledge of the Horn of Africa and extensive field-based experience in humanitarian operations, I bring a strong ability to bridge gaps between communities, humanitarian actors, authorities, and donors. I am particularly experienced in navigating complex political, security, and operational environments and developing practical access strategies that enable humanitarian organizations to reach vulnerable populations in a principled, safe, effective, and sustainable manner.
Farhan Cyprian
Associate Professor of Immunology, College of medicine
Qatar
Dr. Farhan Cyprian is a Medical Doctor (MBBS) and Associate Professor of Immunology at the College of Medicine, Qatar University (CMED-QU). He combines clinical training with focused translational research to advance understanding of host–pathogen interactions and immune responses in infectious diseases.
Dr. Cyprian earned his PhD at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and conducted doctoral work at the Institut Mérieux P4 facility in Lyon, developing expertise in TGF-β–mediated modulation of T cells in transgenic models; his MSc examined the application of transcriptomics to cancer biology. Dr. Cyprian’s research centers on the role of T cell–driven immunity in severe infection—particularly SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis and oncoviruses—and impact of metabolic disorders on molecular mechanisms that impact disease severity and immune evasion. He has secured several grants and is currently active in a project to develop nanoparticle-based mucosal vaccines for RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2, and combines transcriptomic profiling with functional immunology to translate mechanistic discoveries into therapeutic leads. Working with well-characterized clinical cohorts and experimental models, he seeks to move laboratory findings toward clinically relevant interventions. He has authored 60+ peer-reviewed articles with over 2,200 citations, and as a founding faculty member at CMED-QU he continues to build regional research capacity in immune responses to infectious-disease while mentoring the next generation of clinician-scientists.
Dr. Cyprian earned his PhD at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon and conducted doctoral work at the Institut Mérieux P4 facility in Lyon, developing expertise in TGF-β–mediated modulation of T cells in transgenic models; his MSc examined the application of transcriptomics to cancer biology. Dr. Cyprian’s research centers on the role of T cell–driven immunity in severe infection—particularly SARS-CoV-2, tuberculosis and oncoviruses—and impact of metabolic disorders on molecular mechanisms that impact disease severity and immune evasion. He has secured several grants and is currently active in a project to develop nanoparticle-based mucosal vaccines for RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2, and combines transcriptomic profiling with functional immunology to translate mechanistic discoveries into therapeutic leads. Working with well-characterized clinical cohorts and experimental models, he seeks to move laboratory findings toward clinically relevant interventions. He has authored 60+ peer-reviewed articles with over 2,200 citations, and as a founding faculty member at CMED-QU he continues to build regional research capacity in immune responses to infectious-disease while mentoring the next generation of clinician-scientists.
Giridhara Rathnaiah Babu
Professor and Director PVAC – English course
Qatar
Dr. Babu graduated from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India, where he earned his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degrees. He furthered his studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he obtained his Master’s and PhD in Public Health. He is a Professor of Population medicine at Qatar University and a Visiting Professor at Maastricht University. He served as professor and head of the Life Course in Epidemiology at the Public Health Foundation of India. In an earlier role, he worked as Surveillance Medical Officer for the World Health Organization, where he led polio eradication efforts in Karnataka and other high-risk areas, and initiated Measles surveillance that contributed to developing a national measles elimination plan.
His research focuses on the impact of maternal health on child outcomes. He led several significant projects, including research on the transgenerational effects of maternal glucose on childhood obesity, and the COINCIDE project, which examines the nutritional, psychosocial, and environmental determinants of child neurodevelopment and mental health. Prof. Babu is the principal investigator for several major research grants. His notable projects include a Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance-funded study on the transgenerational association of maternal glucose with childhood obesity and the role of behavioral and environmental factors (TAGORE).
Prof. Babu’s career is marked by his commitment to advancing public health through research, policy participation, and education. An accomplished author, Dr. Babu has contributed over 221 peer-reviewed articles and books. His scholarly work is reflected in his inclusion in Stanford University’s list of World’s Top 2% scientists. He serves on several national and international committees, including the Lancet Commission Task Force on COVID-19 and the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Task Force for COVID-19. He has also played advisory roles for multiple state government health initiatives in Karnataka. He is a member of several professional societies, including the International Epidemiological Association and the Indian Public Health Association. He has held the position of regional representative for LMICs on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) international society.
His research focuses on the impact of maternal health on child outcomes. He led several significant projects, including research on the transgenerational effects of maternal glucose on childhood obesity, and the COINCIDE project, which examines the nutritional, psychosocial, and environmental determinants of child neurodevelopment and mental health. Prof. Babu is the principal investigator for several major research grants. His notable projects include a Wellcome Trust-DBT India Alliance-funded study on the transgenerational association of maternal glucose with childhood obesity and the role of behavioral and environmental factors (TAGORE).
Prof. Babu’s career is marked by his commitment to advancing public health through research, policy participation, and education. An accomplished author, Dr. Babu has contributed over 221 peer-reviewed articles and books. His scholarly work is reflected in his inclusion in Stanford University’s list of World’s Top 2% scientists. He serves on several national and international committees, including the Lancet Commission Task Force on COVID-19 and the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Task Force for COVID-19. He has also played advisory roles for multiple state government health initiatives in Karnataka. He is a member of several professional societies, including the International Epidemiological Association and the Indian Public Health Association. He has held the position of regional representative for LMICs on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) international society.
Hanan Abdul Rahim
Professor of Public Health (epidemiology),
Dean, College of Health Science
Dean, College of Health Science
Qatar
Hanan F. Abdul Rahim is Professor of Public Health (Epidemiology) and Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Qatar University. Since assuming the deanship in 2020, she has guided the College through a period of academic expansion and strategic alignment with national health workforce priorities. Her leadership has included overseeing the accreditation and reaccreditation of academic programs, launching new degrees, and spearheading regional capacity-building collaborations that position the College as a leading center for public health education in the region.
Internationally, Professor Abdul Rahim is recognized for her contributions to public health workforce education and development. She serves as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Evidence-Based Implementation in Global Health, a member of the WHO Public Health and Emergency Workforce Roadmap Steering Committee, and a member of the Technical Advisory Group on Competency-Based Education for strengthening the Public Health and Emergency Workforce. She also sits on advisory boards for several national and regional public health education and training bodies and is a frequent contributor to high-level policy forums, including those convened by WHO EMRO, the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.
Her academic leadership at Qatar University spans more than 15 years. She played foundational roles in establishing the country’s first Bachelor of Science in Public Health (2012) and Master of Public Health (2015) programs. She previously served as Head of the Department of Public Health (2017–2019) and Associate Director of the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (2008–2017). In recognition of her contributions to institutional strategy and academic development, she received Qatar University’s Outstanding Faculty Service Award in 2022.
Professor Abdul Rahim’s research sits at the intersection of public health and social science. Her scholarly work spans maternal and child health, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, social determinants, and population health surveillance. She has authored or co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, including two Lancet articles and multiple studies contributing to Qatar’s national COVID-19 response. She currently leads or co-leads several funded research projects on perinatal mental health, climate and health, vaping cessation, and public health indicator development.
She holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Oslo (2003), an M.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Illinois State University (1994), and a B.Sc. in Biology from Salem College (1992). She is certified by the U.S. National Board of Public Health Examiners (2023).
Internationally, Professor Abdul Rahim is recognized for her contributions to public health workforce education and development. She serves as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Evidence-Based Implementation in Global Health, a member of the WHO Public Health and Emergency Workforce Roadmap Steering Committee, and a member of the Technical Advisory Group on Competency-Based Education for strengthening the Public Health and Emergency Workforce. She also sits on advisory boards for several national and regional public health education and training bodies and is a frequent contributor to high-level policy forums, including those convened by WHO EMRO, the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.
Her academic leadership at Qatar University spans more than 15 years. She played foundational roles in establishing the country’s first Bachelor of Science in Public Health (2012) and Master of Public Health (2015) programs. She previously served as Head of the Department of Public Health (2017–2019) and Associate Director of the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (2008–2017). In recognition of her contributions to institutional strategy and academic development, she received Qatar University’s Outstanding Faculty Service Award in 2022.
Professor Abdul Rahim’s research sits at the intersection of public health and social science. Her scholarly work spans maternal and child health, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, social determinants, and population health surveillance. She has authored or co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, including two Lancet articles and multiple studies contributing to Qatar’s national COVID-19 response. She currently leads or co-leads several funded research projects on perinatal mental health, climate and health, vaping cessation, and public health indicator development.
She holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Oslo (2003), an M.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Illinois State University (1994), and a B.Sc. in Biology from Salem College (1992). She is certified by the U.S. National Board of Public Health Examiners (2023).
Hebah Atef Mohammad AlKhatib
Research Associate, Biomedical Research Center (BRC) Infectious Disease Unit
Qatar
I am currently working as a Research Associate in the Infectious Disease Unit at the Biomedical Research Center (BRC), Qatar University. I began my career as a Medical Technologist in the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar. In 2013, I joined the Qatar Science Leadership Program (QSLP) to pursue higher education in Molecular Virology at Imperial College London and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Upon graduation, I joined the Virology Research Team at the BRC, where I have contributed to projects focusing on viral evolution, immune responses to viral infections, and the development of therapeutic antibodies. In parallel, I have developed advanced skills in bioinformatics, with a particular focus on viroinformatics and immunoinformatics. Over the course of my career, I have been awarded more than 12 local and international research grants and have co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, including NEJM and JAMA.
Habib Hasan Farooqui
Faculty, College of Medicine
Qatar
Habib Hasan Farooqui is a faculty member at the College of Medicine, Qatar University. Previously, he has served as an Additional Professor of Health Economics at the Public Health Foundation of India (2008-2024), Post-Doctoral Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2013-14), and Surveillance Medical Officer at the World Health Organisation (2007-08).
He obtained his medical degree (Doctor of Medicine) from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (2007), Non-Degree Medicine PG from Sydney University (2010), and PhD (2025) from Maastricht University. He is formally trained in Econometrics (LSE), Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (LSHTM), and Pedagogy (Boston University). He has served as a technical expert on international advisory committees, including Immunization and Vaccines-related Implementation Research Advisory Committee (IVIR-AC) at WHO-HQ, WHO Advisory Group on the R&D of antibacterial treatments, Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House, UK), Board of Immunisation Economics (USA), WHO-SEARO, WHO India, WHO Maldives, MOHFW in India and Maldives, and the International Health Economics Association.
His research and teaching interests include infectious disease epidemiology and infectious disease economics with a particular focus on vaccine-preventable diseases. He has generated the first-ever state-specific estimates of pneumonia-related mortality and morbidity for India, guiding the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) introduction planning, and the first-ever estimates on paediatric vaccine use in the private sector in India and also conducted qualitative research into parents’ and paediatricians’ decision-making process on immunisation with PCV and Rotavirus vaccines. He has reported the first-ever country-level estimates on antibiotics and the impact of several health policies, such as (intensification of routine immunisation (Mission Indradhanush), Schedule H1 and drug price control orders (DPCO), on demand for antibiotics. He has also provided technical advice to the Competition Commission of India on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the Indian pharmaceutical market, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on pharmaceutical price regulation.
He has supervised more than 30 master’s level students, published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and served as an editor in top international journals.
He obtained his medical degree (Doctor of Medicine) from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (2007), Non-Degree Medicine PG from Sydney University (2010), and PhD (2025) from Maastricht University. He is formally trained in Econometrics (LSE), Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases (LSHTM), and Pedagogy (Boston University). He has served as a technical expert on international advisory committees, including Immunization and Vaccines-related Implementation Research Advisory Committee (IVIR-AC) at WHO-HQ, WHO Advisory Group on the R&D of antibacterial treatments, Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House, UK), Board of Immunisation Economics (USA), WHO-SEARO, WHO India, WHO Maldives, MOHFW in India and Maldives, and the International Health Economics Association.
His research and teaching interests include infectious disease epidemiology and infectious disease economics with a particular focus on vaccine-preventable diseases. He has generated the first-ever state-specific estimates of pneumonia-related mortality and morbidity for India, guiding the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) introduction planning, and the first-ever estimates on paediatric vaccine use in the private sector in India and also conducted qualitative research into parents’ and paediatricians’ decision-making process on immunisation with PCV and Rotavirus vaccines. He has reported the first-ever country-level estimates on antibiotics and the impact of several health policies, such as (intensification of routine immunisation (Mission Indradhanush), Schedule H1 and drug price control orders (DPCO), on demand for antibiotics. He has also provided technical advice to the Competition Commission of India on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the Indian pharmaceutical market, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on pharmaceutical price regulation.
He has supervised more than 30 master’s level students, published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and served as an editor in top international journals.
Heather Monnet
Independent Global Health Consultant
Kinaura Partners
Kinaura Partners
Switzerland
Heather Monnet began her global health career at the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999 as a Global Health Fellow, part of an innovative initiative to bring new and diverse expertise into WHO. She spent five years in the Director-General’s Office working on political engagement and efforts to expand development assistance for health and WHO, including helping launch the Measles Initiative.
She subsequently moved to WHO’s polio eradication program during the major outbreaks of 2004–2005 to help mobilize the resources needed for the international response. This began nearly two decades of work with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
In senior external relations and resource mobilization roles at WHO, Heather helped shape GPEI’s financing, advocacy and political engagement with donor and affected-country governments, development institutions, philanthropies and other partners through multiple phases of the eradication effort.
She later joined the Gates Foundation as a Senior Program Officer, working across its polio and Global Financing Facility (GFF) portfolios. Today, as an independent global health consultant supporting WHO and the Gates Foundation, her work includes innovative and complementary financing approaches for polio eradication in a changing global health financing landscape.
Heather holds an MPH from Emory University and a BA from the University of California, San Diego. She is a former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the WHO Director-General’s Award of Excellence.
She subsequently moved to WHO’s polio eradication program during the major outbreaks of 2004–2005 to help mobilize the resources needed for the international response. This began nearly two decades of work with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
In senior external relations and resource mobilization roles at WHO, Heather helped shape GPEI’s financing, advocacy and political engagement with donor and affected-country governments, development institutions, philanthropies and other partners through multiple phases of the eradication effort.
She later joined the Gates Foundation as a Senior Program Officer, working across its polio and Global Financing Facility (GFF) portfolios. Today, as an independent global health consultant supporting WHO and the Gates Foundation, her work includes innovative and complementary financing approaches for polio eradication in a changing global health financing landscape.
Heather holds an MPH from Emory University and a BA from the University of California, San Diego. She is a former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the WHO Director-General’s Award of Excellence.
Louise Henaff
Scientific advisor
Switzerland
Louise Henaff is a scientific advisor at the University of Geneva, supporting development and coordination of vaccinology courses globally. She also contributes to the coordination and strategic development of the ADVAC alumni network, fostering a global community of experts to support continued learning, collaboration, and peer-to-peer exchange.
Prior to this role, she spent over 10 years at WHO Headquarters, where she served as Executive Secretary of the Global NITAG Network (GNN) and as the focal point for NITAGs and evidence-informed decision-making. In this capacity, she led efforts to strengthen NITAGs, supported the development of tools and training modules for evidence-based policy-making, and facilitated collaboration between countries, regions, and global partners.
Her work focuses on strengthening immunization systems through capacity building, fostering networks of expertise, and promoting evidence-informed decision-making to support the development and implementation of effective vaccination policies.
Prior to this role, she spent over 10 years at WHO Headquarters, where she served as Executive Secretary of the Global NITAG Network (GNN) and as the focal point for NITAGs and evidence-informed decision-making. In this capacity, she led efforts to strengthen NITAGs, supported the development of tools and training modules for evidence-based policy-making, and facilitated collaboration between countries, regions, and global partners.
Her work focuses on strengthening immunization systems through capacity building, fostering networks of expertise, and promoting evidence-informed decision-making to support the development and implementation of effective vaccination policies.
Jeevan Kumar Makam
Medical Epidemiologist, Global Immunization & Polio Expert
USA
Dr. Jeevan Makam is a seasoned public health professional with over 26 years of experience in global immunization, disease surveillance, and health systems strengthening. He is currently working with WHO country office in Mongolia supporting new vaccine introduction -HPV, EPI reviews and polio surveillance activities.
Prior to this assignment, he served with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Global Immunization Division, where he was seconded to UNICEF Headquarters in New York. In this role, he supported polio eradication, transition, and integration efforts, actively contributing to more than a dozen global working groups and representing UNICEF in key technical forums. Dr. Makam was part of CDC’s Africa Polio Team based in Atlanta, providing strategic and operational support to countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, and Kenya. His work focused on planning and monitoring polio campaigns, acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and outbreak response coordination.
Dr. Makam has also held multiple leadership roles with the World Health Organization (WHO) across both the African (AFRO) and South-East Asia (SEARO) regions. In Nigeria, he initially joined as part of the STOP 32 mission and went on to spend seven years supporting polio eradication and routine immunization efforts. He played a pivotal role in introducing new vaccines such as Pentavalent, PCV, and IPV, and led the development of NRTRIS—Nigeria’s real-time tracking system for immunization supervision.
In India, Dr. Makam worked with WHO’s National Polio Surveillance Project, supporting polio activities in the endemic states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. As Deputy Regional Team Lead and Officer on Special Duty, he spearheaded innovative strategies including the Migratory Strategy, Hybrid Flood Plan, and HRRI (High-Risk Responsive Immunization) to interrupt transmission in challenging settings.
Dr. Makam began his public health journey as a Surveillance Medical Officer in Bhagalpur, Bihar, and has since collaborated extensively with global and local partners in the fight against polio. He is also an active Rotarian, committed to service and community engagement.
Prior to this assignment, he served with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Global Immunization Division, where he was seconded to UNICEF Headquarters in New York. In this role, he supported polio eradication, transition, and integration efforts, actively contributing to more than a dozen global working groups and representing UNICEF in key technical forums. Dr. Makam was part of CDC’s Africa Polio Team based in Atlanta, providing strategic and operational support to countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, and Kenya. His work focused on planning and monitoring polio campaigns, acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance, and outbreak response coordination.
Dr. Makam has also held multiple leadership roles with the World Health Organization (WHO) across both the African (AFRO) and South-East Asia (SEARO) regions. In Nigeria, he initially joined as part of the STOP 32 mission and went on to spend seven years supporting polio eradication and routine immunization efforts. He played a pivotal role in introducing new vaccines such as Pentavalent, PCV, and IPV, and led the development of NRTRIS—Nigeria’s real-time tracking system for immunization supervision.
In India, Dr. Makam worked with WHO’s National Polio Surveillance Project, supporting polio activities in the endemic states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. As Deputy Regional Team Lead and Officer on Special Duty, he spearheaded innovative strategies including the Migratory Strategy, Hybrid Flood Plan, and HRRI (High-Risk Responsive Immunization) to interrupt transmission in challenging settings.
Dr. Makam began his public health journey as a Surveillance Medical Officer in Bhagalpur, Bihar, and has since collaborated extensively with global and local partners in the fight against polio. He is also an active Rotarian, committed to service and community engagement.
Kamel Senouci
Director ADVAC and PVAC
Switzerland
Kamel Senouci is currently the Director of the Advanced Course of Vaccinology (ADVAC)—an advanced vaccinology training for decision makers including academia, industry, governmental and non-governmental agencies—at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.
His career spans over 20 years, where he has worked in various institutions including the French Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP)—an international NGO. More recently, Kamel was Deputy Director in the Global Development department at the Gates Foundation, overseeing the reinforcement of the Polio Eradication and Immunization Programs.
Kamel has worked in numerous countries all over the world including the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. He has focused on public health and health policy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries; immunization; maternal and child health; outbreaks prevention, preparedness and response; health financing and health advocacy.
Kamel is a Medical Doctor with a Public Health Specialty from Paris University. He also holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from Paris University and a Master of Science, Health policy, planning and financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
His career spans over 20 years, where he has worked in various institutions including the French Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Agence de Médecine Préventive (AMP)—an international NGO. More recently, Kamel was Deputy Director in the Global Development department at the Gates Foundation, overseeing the reinforcement of the Polio Eradication and Immunization Programs.
Kamel has worked in numerous countries all over the world including the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. He has focused on public health and health policy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries; immunization; maternal and child health; outbreaks prevention, preparedness and response; health financing and health advocacy.
Kamel is a Medical Doctor with a Public Health Specialty from Paris University. He also holds a Master of Science in Epidemiology from Paris University and a Master of Science, Health policy, planning and financing from the London School of Economics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Mohamed Somane Abdi
Humanitarian professional – Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD)
Kenya
I am a humanitarian professional with more than 20 years of experience working in complex and conflict-affected environments. Throughout my career, I have worked with leading international organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Secours Islamique France (SIF), and Humanitarian Dialogue (HD).
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and have extensive experience in humanitarian management, conflict resolution, coordination, negotiation, humanitarian access, and security advisory. My work has involved engaging with government authorities, local communities, humanitarian actors, and other stakeholders to facilitate humanitarian operations and improve access to vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.
Over the years, I have developed strong skills in leadership, programme coordination, negotiation, conflict-sensitive engagement, security and risk management, and stakeholder relations. I have worked in challenging environments affected by conflict, insecurity, displacement, and humanitarian crises, gaining a strong understanding of the operational and security dynamics that influence humanitarian response.
I am committed to promoting effective humanitarian action, peaceful conflict resolution, and improved access to essential services for vulnerable populations.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and have extensive experience in humanitarian management, conflict resolution, coordination, negotiation, humanitarian access, and security advisory. My work has involved engaging with government authorities, local communities, humanitarian actors, and other stakeholders to facilitate humanitarian operations and improve access to vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations.
Over the years, I have developed strong skills in leadership, programme coordination, negotiation, conflict-sensitive engagement, security and risk management, and stakeholder relations. I have worked in challenging environments affected by conflict, insecurity, displacement, and humanitarian crises, gaining a strong understanding of the operational and security dynamics that influence humanitarian response.
I am committed to promoting effective humanitarian action, peaceful conflict resolution, and improved access to essential services for vulnerable populations.
Naureen Navqi
SBS Manager
Afghanistan
Over 20 years in management, advocacy, fundraising, humanitarian actions, SBC and development experience that includes 16 years with UNICEF in various countries and NYHQ leading development and humanitarian programming, strategic negotiation, DRR, community engagement and gender-focused initiatives to address complex global challenges from people centered approaches. Currently managing a challenging and dynamic portfolio as the Deputy Team Lead and SBC Manager, Polio Program with UNICEF Afghanistan, leading strategic social and behavioral change efforts in emergency and disaster contexts, fostering inclusive, people-centered solutions.
Her previous leadership roles at UNICEF include spearheading SBC emergency preparedness and humanitarian actions, designing community engagement strategies, particularly in conflict-sensitive and post-conflict settings, natural hazards, and disease outbreaks. Naureen acted as the global lead for risk communication & community engagement during COVID-19 pandemic. She is a champion of imparting knowledge and mentoring the next generation of development activists and public health leaders. She believes in prioritizing respect, empathy, and integrity for the most vulnerable, enabling collaborative results by working alongside governments, academia, and development partners to empower communities and drive sustainable impact.
Naureen has collaborated with the faculties of New York University school of Public Health, Columbia University, University of British Columbia and American University of Beirut to enrich academic learning of staff and partners through academic with practical learning.
Her previous leadership roles at UNICEF include spearheading SBC emergency preparedness and humanitarian actions, designing community engagement strategies, particularly in conflict-sensitive and post-conflict settings, natural hazards, and disease outbreaks. Naureen acted as the global lead for risk communication & community engagement during COVID-19 pandemic. She is a champion of imparting knowledge and mentoring the next generation of development activists and public health leaders. She believes in prioritizing respect, empathy, and integrity for the most vulnerable, enabling collaborative results by working alongside governments, academia, and development partners to empower communities and drive sustainable impact.
Naureen has collaborated with the faculties of New York University school of Public Health, Columbia University, University of British Columbia and American University of Beirut to enrich academic learning of staff and partners through academic with practical learning.
Ananda S. Bandyopadhyay
Deputy Director, Polio
Gates Foundation
Gates Foundation
USA
Dr. Ananda S. Bandyopadhyay is a distinguished public health leader and vaccinologist whose work has contributed to advance global polio eradication efforts.
A graduate of Calcutta National Medical College and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, he began his career with the World Health Organization in India, playing a key role in implementing disease surveillance and immunization initiatives that contributed to India’s certification as polio-free.
He serves as Deputy Director, Polio, at the Gates Foundation, leading global efforts in vaccine innovation and disease eradication. He has been instrumental in the development and deployment of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), the first vaccine authorized under the WHO Emergency Use Listing.
Dr. Bandyopadhyay has made extensive scientific contributions through publications in leading journals and his work has been featured in prominent media portals. He contributes to capacity building as faculty for advanced vaccinology courses and other international training programs, mentoring future public health professionals.
He has received several prestigious honors, including the Park MahnHoon Award (2025), recognizing outstanding contributions to global vaccine development and public health, and the Harvard Chan School Award of Merit (2024), the School’s highest honor, for lifetime achievement in public health.
A graduate of Calcutta National Medical College and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, he began his career with the World Health Organization in India, playing a key role in implementing disease surveillance and immunization initiatives that contributed to India’s certification as polio-free.
He serves as Deputy Director, Polio, at the Gates Foundation, leading global efforts in vaccine innovation and disease eradication. He has been instrumental in the development and deployment of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), the first vaccine authorized under the WHO Emergency Use Listing.
Dr. Bandyopadhyay has made extensive scientific contributions through publications in leading journals and his work has been featured in prominent media portals. He contributes to capacity building as faculty for advanced vaccinology courses and other international training programs, mentoring future public health professionals.
He has received several prestigious honors, including the Park MahnHoon Award (2025), recognizing outstanding contributions to global vaccine development and public health, and the Harvard Chan School Award of Merit (2024), the School’s highest honor, for lifetime achievement in public health.
Ticky Esoh Ebongue
Technical Officer, Finance Department of the Polio Eradication Program
Switzerland
Ticky Esoh currently serves as a Technical Officer within the Finance Department of the Polio Eradication Program at the World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
A graduate of Paris Dauphine University, she began her career as an auditor, conducting audits for private-sector companies across France before joining the WHO.
At the WHO, she has worked on financial reporting and analysis, process optimization, and the development of management tools to support the financial oversight of the Polio Eradication Program. She also supported WHO’s emergency response program during the COVID-19 crisis. She currently works closely with the Outbreak Response and Preparedness Group (ORPG Finance), particularly on day-to-day operations such as campaign financing and reporting. Throughout her time at WHO, she has undertaken missions in WHO regions and countries where polio remains.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, sports, and volunteering at local community events.
A graduate of Paris Dauphine University, she began her career as an auditor, conducting audits for private-sector companies across France before joining the WHO.
At the WHO, she has worked on financial reporting and analysis, process optimization, and the development of management tools to support the financial oversight of the Polio Eradication Program. She also supported WHO’s emergency response program during the COVID-19 crisis. She currently works closely with the Outbreak Response and Preparedness Group (ORPG Finance), particularly on day-to-day operations such as campaign financing and reporting. Throughout her time at WHO, she has undertaken missions in WHO regions and countries where polio remains.
In her free time, she enjoys hiking, sports, and volunteering at local community events.
Kathleen Duclos
PVAC Global coordinator
Switzerland
Kathleen Duclos is the Global Coordinator of the PVAC Course, with over 15 years of experience in epidemiology, public health, health innovation, and international project coordination. Her professional background combines scientific research, evidence-based public health approaches, and the coordination of multidisciplinary health initiatives. She has contributed to scientific publications and managed collaborative projects involving academic institutions, healthcare professionals, and international partners. Through her work, she is committed to fostering international collaboration, strengthening public health capacity, and translating scientific knowledge into practical initiatives that support disease prevention, professional development, and improved public health outcomes.
Valère de Riedmatten
Senior Project Officer in the Mediation Support and Learning Unit
Switzerland
Mr. Valère de Riedmatten is a senior Project Officer in the Mediation Support and Learning Unit at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. He develops and delivers guidance and training on mediation and provides operational support to project teams. Prior to joining HD, Mr. de Riedmatten worked for over a decade in the humanitarian field for the ICRC, the United Nations, and various NGOs in Syria, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. From 2018 to 2020, he was responsible for mediation training for staff of the ICRC and national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in Lebanon, Greece and South Sudan. He is a certified mediator with the Professional Mediation Centre (Beirut), the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (Ottawa), and the University of Melbourne (Australia).
Special Guest Speakers
Rose Gana
Fomban Leke
University of Yaounde
Ziad
A. Memish
Alfaisal University
Hamad
Eid Al Romaihi
Supreme Council of Health, QatarSamina Fatima Hasnain Hasan Syed
Immunization specialist, PHCC
Qatar
Dr. Samina Hasnain is a distinguished public health physician with over a decade of experience in communicable disease control, immunization strategy, and health education. She holds an MBBS degree from Karachi University and a Master’s in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, one of the world’s leading institutions in global health.
Dr. Hasnain began her medical career at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, where she worked as an internal medicine physician. In 2012, she transitioned into public health, joining the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar. Over the next nine years, she played a pivotal role in the Communicable Diseases Control Department, where she led national programs focused on the control and elimination of measles, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, polio, and meningitis. Her leadership extended to the COVID-19 pandemic response, where she served as a lead in Qatar’s contact tracing team, helping to coordinate and implement critical containment strategies.
Her work has been recognized internationally through her participation in numerous missions and trainings organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing to global efforts in disease surveillance, outbreak response, and immunization policy.
Currently, Dr. Hasnain serves as an Immunization Specialist at the Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar, where she continues to advance national immunization initiatives and strengthen public health infrastructure. Her role involves strategic planning, program implementation, and cross-sector collaboration to improve vaccine coverage and disease prevention.
In addition to her clinical and programmatic expertise, Dr. Hasnain is a passionate educator. She has extensive teaching experience with healthcare professionals and students across various institutions. She currently teaches multiple immunization trainings at PHCC as well as distance learning courses in Public Health, Health Promotion, and Infectious Diseases, helping to shape the next generation of public health leaders.
Dr. Hasnain’s career reflects a deep commitment to health equity, education, and global collaboration. Her contributions continue to impact public health policy and practice both within Qatar and beyond.
Dr. Hasnain began her medical career at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar, where she worked as an internal medicine physician. In 2012, she transitioned into public health, joining the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar. Over the next nine years, she played a pivotal role in the Communicable Diseases Control Department, where she led national programs focused on the control and elimination of measles, rubella, congenital rubella syndrome, polio, and meningitis. Her leadership extended to the COVID-19 pandemic response, where she served as a lead in Qatar’s contact tracing team, helping to coordinate and implement critical containment strategies.
Her work has been recognized internationally through her participation in numerous missions and trainings organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing to global efforts in disease surveillance, outbreak response, and immunization policy.
Currently, Dr. Hasnain serves as an Immunization Specialist at the Primary Health Care Corporation in Qatar, where she continues to advance national immunization initiatives and strengthen public health infrastructure. Her role involves strategic planning, program implementation, and cross-sector collaboration to improve vaccine coverage and disease prevention.
In addition to her clinical and programmatic expertise, Dr. Hasnain is a passionate educator. She has extensive teaching experience with healthcare professionals and students across various institutions. She currently teaches multiple immunization trainings at PHCC as well as distance learning courses in Public Health, Health Promotion, and Infectious Diseases, helping to shape the next generation of public health leaders.
Dr. Hasnain’s career reflects a deep commitment to health equity, education, and global collaboration. Her contributions continue to impact public health policy and practice both within Qatar and beyond.
Mohammed Janahi
Division Chief Pediatric infectious diseases, Sidra / Chair of National Certification Committee
Qatar
King Faisal University of Saudi Arabia and his residency training in 1993-1996 at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt hospital in New York, USA, then fellowship training in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey, USA from 1996-1999. In 1997, Dr. Janahi obtained his American Board of Pediatrics.
He was the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Hamad Medical Corporation since November 2005; Head of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases since 1999; Vice Chair of Pediatrics at Sidra Medicine and Medical Director of Outpatient Clinics. He has been treating pediatric patients with various infectious diseases for the past 19 years. In addition, Dr. Janahi is an appointed faculty member of Weill-Cornell Medical College in Qatar as Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics.
He was the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Hamad Medical Corporation since November 2005; Head of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases since 1999; Vice Chair of Pediatrics at Sidra Medicine and Medical Director of Outpatient Clinics. He has been treating pediatric patients with various infectious diseases for the past 19 years. In addition, Dr. Janahi is an appointed faculty member of Weill-Cornell Medical College in Qatar as Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics.
Abdullatif Al Khal
Hamad Medical Corporation
Qatar
Dr. Abdullatif Mohammed Al-Khal earned his MBBCh from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1989. He undertook his internship at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in the State of Qatar, and in 1991, joined the Internal Medicine Residency Training Program at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, CT, USA, followed by completion of a 2-year fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Hartford Hospital. He was awarded the Diploma of the American Board of Infectious Diseases in 1996. He was recertified in Infectious Diseases in 2013.
Dr. Al-Khal holds several clinical positions, chairs a variety of committees, and has led number of strategic projects at HMC. Between 1999-2001, he served as the Chair of Family Medicine and as the Chair of Department of Medicine from 2001 until 2012. Dr. Al-Khal has been the Head of Infectious Diseases Division since 1998 and the Lead of the Communicable Disease Centre and is also the National TB Program Manager and the Director of the Clinical AIDS Program. As Deputy Chief Medical Officer and the Director of Medical Education/DIO, he has notably led HMC’s achievement of ACGME-I accreditation, and in 2018 received ACGME’s Physician International Award, to recognize his outstanding contributions to improving the quality of graduate medical education in Qatar. Dr. Al-Khal also has an advisory role to several public health programs under the umbrella of Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health.
Dr. Al-Khal currently holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar (WCM-Q) and as Clinical Professor of Medicine at Qatar University College of Medicine (QU CMED) as well as serves as QU CMED’s Director of the Clinical Affairs Department.
He remains active in research and publishes regularly in the fields of Internal Medicine, Pharmacology, Infectious Diseases and Medical Education.
Dr. Al-Khal holds several clinical positions, chairs a variety of committees, and has led number of strategic projects at HMC. Between 1999-2001, he served as the Chair of Family Medicine and as the Chair of Department of Medicine from 2001 until 2012. Dr. Al-Khal has been the Head of Infectious Diseases Division since 1998 and the Lead of the Communicable Disease Centre and is also the National TB Program Manager and the Director of the Clinical AIDS Program. As Deputy Chief Medical Officer and the Director of Medical Education/DIO, he has notably led HMC’s achievement of ACGME-I accreditation, and in 2018 received ACGME’s Physician International Award, to recognize his outstanding contributions to improving the quality of graduate medical education in Qatar. Dr. Al-Khal also has an advisory role to several public health programs under the umbrella of Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health.
Dr. Al-Khal currently holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar (WCM-Q) and as Clinical Professor of Medicine at Qatar University College of Medicine (QU CMED) as well as serves as QU CMED’s Director of the Clinical Affairs Department.
He remains active in research and publishes regularly in the fields of Internal Medicine, Pharmacology, Infectious Diseases and Medical Education.
Younis R. Awadallah
UNICEF Retiree
Palestine
A qualified public health professional with more than 40 years’ experience in Maternal, child health and early childhood development and Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) including Vaccination and Cold management. Has experience in managing maternal and child health projects, including integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) and primary health care PHC capacity development and resource utilization. In addition, has long experience in working with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education/Higher Education and other national and international organizations in issues including outbreaks, emergency situations and early recovery projects.
Being a national coordinator for the IMCI strategies and director of child health departments in the MoH from 2001-2010 and as a Health Specialist (Health and Nutrition officer) at UNICEF from 2010 to November 2021 opened a door to connect networks and be familiar with international community policies and requirements. Has good connections with international community including WHO, UNCIEF, UNFPA, World Bank, European Commission, World Vision International, MAP and USAID’s projects and others, this helped to build up extensive experience in management, monitoring and evaluation, institutional development, community development, team management, leadership and donor relations.
Being a national coordinator for the IMCI strategies and director of child health departments in the MoH from 2001-2010 and as a Health Specialist (Health and Nutrition officer) at UNICEF from 2010 to November 2021 opened a door to connect networks and be familiar with international community policies and requirements. Has good connections with international community including WHO, UNCIEF, UNFPA, World Bank, European Commission, World Vision International, MAP and USAID’s projects and others, this helped to build up extensive experience in management, monitoring and evaluation, institutional development, community development, team management, leadership and donor relations.
Emily Brandt
Searcher
Ireland
EN
Donec rhoncus ultrices nibh, id faucibus neque sollicitudin ac. Aliquam cursus arcu eget est blandit mollis. Duis commodo eget augue id molestie. Curabitur pretium imperdiet libero, non congue massa convallis vitae. In sollicitudin tincidunt sapien.
Emily Brandt
Searcher
Ireland
EN
Donec rhoncus ultrices nibh, id faucibus neque sollicitudin ac. Aliquam cursus arcu eget est blandit mollis. Duis commodo eget augue id molestie. Curabitur pretium imperdiet libero, non congue massa convallis vitae. In sollicitudin tincidunt sapien.
Emily Brandt
Searcher
Ireland
EN
Donec rhoncus ultrices nibh, id faucibus neque sollicitudin ac. Aliquam cursus arcu eget est blandit mollis. Duis commodo eget augue id molestie. Curabitur pretium imperdiet libero, non congue massa convallis vitae. In sollicitudin tincidunt sapien.
Emily Brandt
Searcher
Ireland
EN
Donec rhoncus ultrices nibh, id faucibus neque sollicitudin ac. Aliquam cursus arcu eget est blandit mollis. Duis commodo eget augue id molestie. Curabitur pretium imperdiet libero, non congue massa convallis vitae. In sollicitudin tincidunt sapien.