The WHO has declared 2021 the year of the health and care worker and COVID-19 has highlighted the need for entrepreneurial solutions to health workforce shortages and pressures. This panel will bring together senior ministry of health officials from Sub-Saharan Africa whose governments have prioritized strengthening their health workforce with funders who have made (or are planning) significant investments in health workforce to discuss lessons emerging from the pandemic. Panelists will discuss why they are prioritizing health workforce as one of the most consequential areas for impact and how to invest in the right systems to create space for innovation to flourish.
This session was curated in partnership with Clinton Health Access Initiative.
Minister of Health, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Dr. Lia Tadesse Gebremedhin became the Minister of Health (MoH) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in March 2020. Prior to this appointment, she served as State Minister of Health since November 2018 leading the national health programs under the Health Sector Transformation Strategy.
Dr. Lia is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with extensive experience as a clinician, in healthcare leadership, academia, and in hospital and program management with over twenty years’ experience.
Prior to joining MoH, Dr. Lia Tadesse served as Program Director at the University of Michigan’s Center for International Reproductive Health Training (CIRHT) in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she has successfully partnered with several institutions, both in Ethiopia and Rwanda, to increase the quality of reproductive health services and training.
Serving as the CEO and Vice Provost of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) in Addis Ababa for seven years, Dr Lia has led the hospital’s services and academic reforms, including forging collaborative relationships with several national and international stakeholders. Dr. Lia, was also Project Director of USAID’s Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) at Jhpiego-Ethiopia prior to joining CIRHT after leaving SPHMMC.
Dr. Lia’s passion is strengthening and reforming health systems and has received recognition for her accomplishments, advocacy for gender equity in access to quality health services and training.
Dr. Lia Tadesse earned her medical degree from Jimma University, speciality training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology from Addis Ababa University and a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration from Jimma University.
Robyn Calder is President and board member of ELMA Philanthropies, the services arm of The ELMA Group of Foundations, which is focused on improving the lives of children and their families, particularly in Africa.
Robyn is a member of Last Mile Health’s Advisory Council, and the board of The End Fund, which focuses on ending neglected tropical diseases.
Robyn has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a MSc in Political Sociology from the London School of Economics, and a BA in Development Studies from UC Berkeley.
She lives in NYC with her two daughters.
Executive Secretary and former Minister of State, Government of the Republic of Rwanda
Dr. Patrick C. Ndimubanzi currently serves as the Executive Secretary for the Human Resource for Health Secretariat (HRH). The mission of the Human Resource for Health Secretariat is to build a health education infrastructure and build the capacity of the health workforce in order to create a high-quality and sustainable healthcare system. Prior to his appointment as the HRH Secretariat Executive Secretary, Patrick served as the Minister of State in Charge of Primary Healthcare and Public Health in the Government of Rwanda. He is a Public Health Specialist with experience in designing implementing and monitoring health systems strengthening strategies aiming at improving health outcomes of the population. Throughout his career, he has worked on various initiatives aiming at tackling infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and non-infectious diseases. He has also been active working with response teams involved in the management of various outbreaks, including the prevention of public health threats of international concerns. Prior to joining the Ministry of Health, Patrick worked with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Kigali, within the PEPFAR team, focusing in the area of Pediatric HIV and the area of Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission. After completing his medical training, Patrick worked on an interventional research project (AMATA) aiming to compare breastfeeding with maternal antiretroviral therapy to formula feeding in order to prevent HIV postnatal mother-to-child transmission in Rwanda. Trained as a medical doctor at the University of Rwanda, Patrick is a Fulbright alumnus who studied Epidemiology. He holds a Master of Sciences degree from Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center.
Mona is a Senior Director at the Office of Strategic Affairs, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court. Her role includes analysis of social and economic developments globally and locally and drafting of publications and white papers to influence policy making. She also manages a large portfolio of philanthropic initiatives around global health. Prior to joining the crown Prince Court she worked at Booz and Company as part of the public sector practice team focusing on a wide range of public policy issues including: social and labor policies and macroeconomic policy among other areas. She also worked as an economist with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). She has authored and co-authored several papers including an IMF paper on the determinants of Public Private Partnerships. She has three major books: “Looking Ahead: The 50 Trends that Matter” ; “Looking Ahead: The Global Sustainable Agenda” and “The Giving World: How maximizing three financial forces could revolutionize global development”.
Mona holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Oxford and a Master in Public Administration International Development from Harvard Kennedy School. She is a recipient of both the H.R.H. Princess Banderi Al-Faisal Public Service Fellowship and Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri International Public Service Fellowship. She is a WEF Young Global Leader and a ex-member of the WEF Development Finance Global Future Council and the current Chair of Uniting to Combat NTDs.
Director, Primary Health Care, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
As Director of Primary Health Care, Tracey McNeill leads the team that builds on the foundation’s and field’s deep experience in health systems strengthening. This includes health financing, system design, and service delivery innovation, aiming to dramatically improve the efficiency, quality, and equity of PHC.
Previously, Tracey was VP of Global Clinical Governance and Quality and Chief Mobilization Officer at Babylon Healthcare and CEO of its digital health subsidiary in Rwanda. At Babylon Healthcare, Tracey worked with global regulators and policymakers to ensure delivery of PHC services through virtual consultations across the UK and internationally. At Babyl Rwanda, she partnered with the government of Rwanda and stakeholders to roll out their digital health service.
Tracey also served as the SVP and Commercial Director at MSI.
Tracey holds a post-graduate qualification in Occupational Health from The RCN London and a certification as an RN from The Royal Free Hospital.
Vice President/Executive Dean for Health Sciences, University of Liberia
Dr. Bernice T. Dahn is the Vice President/ Executive Dean for Health Sciences at the University of Liberia (UL). She served as the Minister of Health for the Republic of Liberia from 2015-2018. For almost nine years prior, Dr. Dahn served as the Deputy Minister of Health and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the Republic of Liberia. Having taught medical students as a faculty member at her alma mater, A.M. Dogliotti College of Medicine, for thirteen years, Dr. Dahn is now focused in her current role on improving academic and administrative systems for the UL College of Health Sciences, with a vision of establishing a world-class health sciences education system.
