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…
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…
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…
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…
As Director of PHC, 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…
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)…
