WACI HEALTH - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Programs Assistant

Based in Nairobi, Kenya, David is a young advocate for Global Health specifically Health Financing. His background in Financial Engineering has seen him engage in research around Health Financing specifically on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with Health Systems. Responsibilities also include civil society and community capacity strengthening around key health and development issues including Health Financing, Research and Development, HIV TB and Malaria as well as Youth Advocacy for Health.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Team Leader

Dudu Simelane is the Team Leader: East and Southern Africa at the IPPF Africa Regional office and has a responsibility to lead a team of Technical Advisors who support the IPPF Member Associations (MAs) in the East and Southern Africa sub-region to deliver quality integrated SRH, HIV and other health programmes and further ensuring that MAs are well managed, well governed and have robust organisational systems at all levels. Prior to joining IPPF, Dudu was Regional Manager: East and Southern Africa (ESA) at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (IHAAs) in the United Kingdom . Her role included overseeing the Alliance's programmes in the ESA sub-region. In this role she co-led the development of a strategy to reposition the IHAAs presence in Southern Africa. Dudu has also worked as the Executive Director of the Family Life Association of Swaziland (FLAS), the IPPF affiliate in Swaziland and has also worked as Director of Programs /Deputy Executive Director at FLAS. Her other work experience has been with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) where she worked as the Special Assistant to the UN Resident Coordinator in Swaziland where she was responsible for the coordination of UN Joint Programs in the UN system in Swaziland. Dudu has also worked at the Council of Swaziland Churches in various capacities. She has led and championed a number of initiatives in the course of her work including the integration of HIV/AIDS programs into SRH. She was one of the key players in the pioneering of a national voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention program in Swaziland. Dudu has also served on various committees and boards in Swaziland and in the Southern Africa region which include among others as a member of the FP2020 Performance, Measurement and Evidence (PME) working Group 2013-2015. Dudu is a seasoned conference speaker, having presented papers at various conferences including the IAC 2008, NGO forum on the ICPD 2009, UNAIDS PCB 2010 thematic session on SRH/HIV, IAC 2010, ICFP 2011, ICASA 2013, ICASA 2015, IAC 2016 among others. Dudu holds a Masters in Development Studies from the University of South Africa, a Post Graduate Diploma in Economic and Social Studies from the University of Manchester's Institute of Development Policy and Management (IDPM) in the UK as well as a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Swaziland.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board
• Chief National Coordinator

Evaline Kibuchi is the Chief National Coordinator, Stop TB Partnership- Kenya. She is the Africa TB Caucus Regional Director. Evaline has over a decade of experience in advocacy in public health with demonstrated commitment to reducing the burden of public health issues in Africa and globally through advocacy. She is an expert in Public health policy advocacy, communication and social mobilization, media engagement, coalitions & partnership and community engagement. She also has a keen interest in Global Health financing where is a member of the Africa Health Platform, an outfit that advocates for domestic financing for health in Africa. She has been an ardent advocate for increased investment to health through Global fund and domestic finances. She brings with her a great network Members of Parliament both from the region and globally as the coordinator of the Parliamentary TB Caucus and a member of the secretariat of the global TB Parliamentary caucus. She was instrumental in establishing the first ever National TB Caucus in Africa which and took lead in the formation of Africa TB Caucus. She is a board member of the Aids Health Foundation (AHF). She is a Sociology graduate from University of Nairobi and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Mass communication from the same University. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health (MPH)

Job Titles:

• AU Liaison Manager
• Officer to the African Union Commission

Fitsum is the liaison officer to the African Union Commission (AUC). He represents WACI Health on the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) for health and the African Leaders Meeting (ALM) Declaration advocacy and communication; which are Technical Working Groups (TWG) for health within the African Union. Fitsum has a rich experience in field research; by which he has led numerous researches, evaluations, need assessments at Regional and National level on Education, Livelihood, Health and Agriculture. Furthermore, he has engaged with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) as a consultant to map and capture of good practices on the school-to-work transition in three (3) AU member states. Additionally, he is a member of the C-20 Health working group and has served a technical youth advisor of the Women and Youth TWG of the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2015/16.

Job Titles:

• Program Officer

Based in Kenya, Gloria is an experienced Public and Occupational Health advocate with over a decades experience. Her skill sets include and are not limited to , Mobilization ,Content and curriculum development, bespoke training, program development and implementation. Prior to WACI Health, she was involved in high level and civil society advocacy for PHC on the National platform. An alumni of the University of Nairobi, she is a BA holder (Double major in Psychology and

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

is a South African journalist, the recipient of some twenty international and South African media awards. Her journalistic work across Africa has focused on science, governance and human rights issues with a particular emphasis on HIV related and analytical storytelling. She is currently the Health Media advisor at Internews, where she leads health media training programs around the globe.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

Executive Director, Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) -Zimbabwe: Itai is a Public Health Activist with almost 20 years experience organizing involvement of communities in health actions in Zimbabwe. He is the immediate past Deputy-Chairperson of the Public Health Advisory Board in Zimbabwe; Member of the National Steering Committee on Results Based Financing (RBF); National Maternal Deaths Surveillance and Response (MDSR) Committee; Editorial Committee Member of the Health Matters Magazine. He is a Steering Committee Member of the Regional Network for Equity in Health in east and southern Africa (EQUINET) coordinating the Social Empowerment Cluster. Itai is the Chairperson for the Peoples Health Movement Zimbabwe, and Coordinator of the African Civil Society Platform for Universal Health Coverage. Itai was in the first Zimbabwe National AIDS Council Board (Disbursement Committee). He holds tertiary level qualifications in Mechanical Engineering, Community Journalism, Research Methods and Health Financing

Job Titles:

• Senior Policy Advisor

Based in Nairobi, Kenya. Works closely with WACI Health colleagues by leading advocacy efforts on specific advocacy priorities, representing WACI Health to high profile policymakers, practitioners, think-tanks, academic partners, the media and the public; working closely with ACTION Global Health Partnership advocates to support the development of WACI Health advocacy strategies and activities on ACTION-related priority issues; working closely with partners to develop coordinated advocacy and public campaigns on WACI Health priority themes and countries; manage Policy and Advocacy temporary staff and Interns. Joyce is a Registered Community Health Nurse in Kenya with undergraduate training in Health Systems Management.

Job Titles:

• CSEM Advocacy and Communications Officer

Laura is the Advocacy and Communications Officer for the Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM), co-hosted by WACI Health. She brings nearly four years of international experience in public relations and global communications, including in global health and human rights. Prior to joining the CSEM, Laura was a Youth Advocate at ONE Campaign where she advocated for the end of preventable diseases by 2030. She was also a Public Affairs researcher at IPSOS on international public health concerns before joining Rare Diseases International (RDI) to raise awareness of challenges faced by the over 300 million Persons Living with a Rare Disease (PLWRD) worldwide. At RDI, she was responsible for coordinating policy change campaigns in partnership with high-level international Institutions (such as WHO, UNESCO), decision-makers, patient organisations, and other stakeholders; supported several publications in influential newspapers, including the Guardian and Media Planet UK; and led the development of social media content. Laura holds a double master's degree in Global Communications and Culture from CELSA (communications and journalism school) and Sorbonne Paris University.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Board

I joined STOPAIDS as Director in July 2015. I partner STOPAIDS Trustees in the delivery of our strategic plan. I represent STOPAIDS externally in the UK and internationally. I am Board Member for the Developed Country NGO Delegation on the board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; a steering committee member oAll Showcasesf Action For Global Health UK, Global Fund Advocates Network, Civil Society Sustainability Network; and of Stamp Out Poverty.

Job Titles:

• Policy and Advocacy Officer
• Zimbabwe ( AfNHi Youth Cohort Member )
• Zimbabwean Mechanical Engineer

MUNASHE MHAKA is a Zimbabwean Mechanical Engineer with an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for youth advocacy. She is a member of the AfNHI Youth Cohort and an ambassador of Inside My Purse, where she is vibrantly involved in youth SRHR and HIV Prevention advocacy. The session also aimed to help participants understand the process of HIV testing, to weigh the pros and cons of having an HIV test, and knowing where to get HIV testing services. They discussed HIV Testing and Counselling (HTC); What it is, how it reduces HIV risk, and its benefits. The discussion went on to further focus on the barriers and facilitators to HIV Testing, so as to help participants understand the reasons why adolescent girls and young women go or do not go for HIV testing. This expanded into issues of disclosure and stigma. They looked at issues involved in supporting People Living With HIV (PLHIV) to disclose their status, and the difficulties involved with disclosing someone's HIV status and how-to better support PLHIV. Participants were left with an understanding of why disclosing one's HIV status is important and to know the effects of stigma and how they can be overcome. The session was a guide to participants to know the truth about living with HIV and supporting those who are living with HIV.

Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Key responsibilities include civil society and community capacity strengthening around key health and development issues including HIV, human rights, GBV, ending violence among women and girls, and health financing. Ms Gxuluwe is a Health and Human Rights activist and has been in the field since 2003. She has extensive experience in campaigning, lobbying and advocacy. She has experience working with diverse group of communities to mention the few traditional leaders, LGBTI community and People Living with HIV/AIDS. Ms Gxuluwe holds a Bachelor of Education honors in Educational Psychology.

Job Titles:

• ICT Advisor / Robinson

Mwaniki, an experienced ICT Advisor based in Nairobi, Kenya, specializes in optimizing digital footprints and driving effective communication strategies. With a strong emphasis on internal and external communications, Robinson has a proven track record of enhancing organizational visibility and engagement through online platforms. Robinson's expertise lies in developing innovative solutions to strengthen WACI Health's digital presence and amplify their message. He excels in managing campaign websites, strategically leveraging social media accounts, and utilizing existing brand accounts for advocacy purposes. Additionally, Robinson is adept at coordinating internal communications, analyzing communication systems, and implementing necessary adjustments to improve overall efficiency. With a comprehensive skill set and unwavering dedication, Robinson Mwaniki is committed to maximizing WACI Health's digital footprint, increasing visibility, and fostering meaningful engagement across various online channels. His proficiency in digital communication and strategy makes him a valuable asset in achieving organizational objectives.

Job Titles:

• Executive Director
• Leader
• Member of the Board

Based in Nairobi, Kenya. Ms Mburu is a global health advocate and civil society leader in Africa working to create political will for improved health outcomes in Africa. Her areas of expertise include policy analysis; building political support for health outcomes; influencing decision making processes; mobilizing civil society and community voices for action; and promoting good participatory practice in clinical trials. Ms Mburu has extensively worked on building and strengthening civil society and community organizing for health Advocacy in Africa. She oversees the Civil Society Platform on Health in Africa (CiSPHA); the Global Fund Advocates Network (GFAN)- Africa hub; and the Africa free of New HIV Infections (AfNHi) Network. She is a member of the Vaccine Advocacy Resource Group (VARG). Mburu is the Southern CSO representative on UHC2030. Ms Mburu has published several peer-reviewed articles and blogs including on: clinical trial ethics- International Journal of Clinical Practice; investments in HIV Prevention Research- African Journal of Reproductive Health; Biomedical HIV Prevention- BMC Proceedings; and strengthening primary health care- Lancet Global Health blog. Ms Mburu holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH), Ohio University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Frostburg State University. Rosemary W. Mburu has been a champion for healthy communities for over fifteen years and currently serves as the Executive Director for WACI Health. Mburu is a civil society leader in Africa and has extensively worked on supporting civil society to engage with decision makers at community, national, regional and global levels. She is a civil society organizer working on building and strengthening civil society networks and platforms on health-related advocacy and campaigning in Africa. In her day-to-day work, together with other civil society leaders and organizations in Africa, Ms Mburu engages with governments, key multilateral and bilateral institutions (such as World Health Organization, the Global Fund, the Stop TB Partnership, and the World Bank). She champions healthy communities by engaging with decision makers and senior technical experts directly and through high-level allies, while also building external support via parliamentary and civic engagement, civil society strengthening, and politically relevant media outreach.

Job Titles:

• Administrative Manager
• Finance

Based in Cape Town South Africa. Key responsibilities include developing budgets, and leadership on financial systems, processes and reporting. Tabeth holds comprehensive knowledge of financial, strategic and human resource management, including setting up financial systems and procedures as well as various organizational policies. She holds a Masters Degree in Strategic Management majoring in Finance and a bachelor's degree in Finance and Banking. Tabeth is a member of Association of Certified Chartered Accountants of London. She is also a member of the Institute of Risk Management South Africa, as an Associate Risk Practitioner.

Job Titles:

• Ghana ( AfNHi Youth Mentorship Cohort Member )

Job Titles:

• UNAIDS Executive Director