MEMBER BIOS 2018
Robin Nandy, Co-Chair
Dr Robin Nandy was appointed Principal Adviser and Chief of Immunization at UNICEF Headquarters in December 2015. Prior to this, from 2011 - 2015, he was the Chief of Child Survival and Development in UNICEF Indonesia. Before his position in Indonesia, Dr Nandy led the Global Polio Eradication Initiative at UNICEF Headquarters from 2010-2011 and was the team lead for Health in Emergencies from 2006 - 2011.
Dr Nandy is a medical epidemiologist and public health physician with an extensive background international public health, particularly in the areas of immunization and in humanitarian health response. Before joining UNICEF, he worked from 2002 - 2006 as a medical epidemiologist at the Global Immunization Division of the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta. From 1998 - 2002 he worked at both the country and headquarters level with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and for the Indian government in the Republic of Maldives. He also spent four years as a Medical Officer in various hospitals in Delhi, India, from 1990-1994.
Dr Nandy obtained his medical degree from Mysore University, India (1990) followed by an MPH at the Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds, UK (1996). He also completed the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Fellowship at the CDC (2002-2004).
Orin Levine, Co-Chair
Dr Orin Levine leads the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s efforts to accelerate the introduction of new vaccines and related technologies and to improve routine immunization systems. He is the Foundation’s focal point for engagement with the GAVI Alliance whose mission is saving children’s lives by increasing access to immunization in poor countries.
Before joining the foundation’s Global Development Program in 2012, Dr Levine was a Professor of International Health, and Executive Director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has also served as a Steering Committee Member of the Decade of Vaccines Collaboration and Co-Chair of its Global Access Working Group, as well as President, Committee on Global Health, American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.
Dr Levine graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College and received a PhD in epidemiology from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Zulfiqar Bhutta
Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta is the Founding Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at the Aga Khan University; the Inaugural Robert Harding Chair in Global Child Health, Co-Director, and Director of Research at the Centre for Global Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children; Chairman of The Coalition of Centres in Global Child Health and President of the International Pediatrics Association. Dr Bhutta also holds adjunct professorships at several leading Universities including the Schools of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Tufts University, the University of Alberta and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Dr Bhutta was educated at the University of Peshawar (MBBS) and obtained his PhD from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh and London), the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (London), American Academy of Pediatrics and the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He has been associated with the Aga Khan University since 1986 and heads a large research team working on issues of maternal, newborn and child survival and nutrition regionally and globally.
Diana Chang Blanc
Ms Diana Chang Blanc is currently the Manager of the Immunization Delivery and Operations Group in the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI), under the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at the World Health Organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland. Ms Chang Blanc coordinates and oversees the inputs of the technical team who support national immunization programmes in Member States, which includes planning and implementation of strategies to increase equitable access to routine and newer vaccines as well as supplementary immunization activities.
Prior to joining WHO Geneva in 2011, Ms Chang Blanc served for four years as the Regional EPI officer in the East Asia Pacific Regional office of UNICEF and for three years as the Regional EPI officer for the Mekong Programme of PATH Children’s Vaccine Programme, based in Bangkok, Thailand. She previously served as an EPI Technical Officer in the sub-regional office of WHO Eastern Africa based in Nairobi, Kenya, supporting East and Southern African Member States in the introduction of Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenza type B vaccines. She has a Master’s in Public Policy and International Health from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, both based in the USA.
Mickey Chopra
Dr Mickey Chopra is the Global Solutions Lead for Service Delivery in the Health Nutrition and Population global practice of the World Bank. He leads its work around the organization, management and quality of health services.
Previous to this he was the Chief of Health and Associate Director of Programs at UNICEF’s New York Headquarters. Additionally, he has chaired the Evaluation and Research Group at the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria to ensure that their investments are reaching those most in need and chaired the Special Committee for Large Countries for GAVI that worked on ensuring increased coverage of vaccines for Nigeria and India in particular. He led the technical team that oversaw the UN Commission on Essential Medicines and Commodities.
Dr Chopra is qualified as a medical doctor with an additional degree in medical sociology from the University of Southampton, England, MPH (Primary Health in Developing Countries) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Uppsala in Sweden.
Ephrem Tekle Lemango
Ephrem Tekle Lemango (MD, MA) is the Executive Director of the International Institute for Primary Health Care in the Ministry of Health, Ethiopia. Prior to this, he was Director of Maternal and Child Health/Nutrition Directorate in the Ministry of Health, Ethiopia. He earned his Medical degree from Addis Ababa University followed by a postgraduate degree in University of Leeds. He has been working as an Assistant Professor of Health Management, Planning and Policy in Mekelle University while serving as a director of Academic Programs. He has served as an advisor and consultant for national and international NGOs working on human resource development and medical education, has developed the equity improvement plan for the health sector of Ethiopia and has supported other countries to strengthen their community health systems and Primary Health Care.
Dr Ephrem serves as a permanent member of the Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group (RITAG) for Africa.
Anuradha Gupta
Anuradha Gupta is a global development leader with a proven track record for transformational impact at both the country and global levels. She is passionate about women, adolescents and children, in particular their health and education. She is currently the Deputy CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and through this role she oversees Gavi strategy, policy and country programmes across 73 countries.
Previously Anuradha worked for the Indian Administrative Service for over 30 years in a wide range of leadership positions, from health to urban development, poverty alleviation to security. She played a leading role in India’s efforts to eradicate polio transmission.
Anuradha has assumed an important role in a number of global health initiatives including Co-Chairing the Partnership for Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (PMNCH), serving as a member of the Steering Committee of the “Child Survival Call to Action” at the invitation of Secretary of State Clinton, Co-Chairing the Stakeholder Group for the London Family Planning Summit 2020, and as a member of the Family Planning 2020 Reference Group.
Anuradha has a Masters in English Literature from Kurukshetra University, an MBA from the University of Wollongong in Australia, as well as Executive Education from Stanford School of Business and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Dafrossa Lyimo
Since 2009, Dr Dafrossa C. Lyimo has served as the Programme Manager, Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Programme within the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children in Tanzania. She is the Secretary for the Inter-agency Coordinating Committee (ICC), and the Secretary for the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Technical Working Group for the SWAP. Dr Lyimo is responsible for Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Immunization Programme in Tanzania (vaccine preventable disease trends, immunization coverage performances and impact, immunization strategy formulation, immunization strategic choices and implementation). She is also responsible for planning, budgeting, conducting trainings, including RED/REC, data management, vaccine and supply chain management, supportive supervision and resource mobilization for immunization services.
Prior to assuming her position as Programme Manager IVD, Dr Lyimo served as the Municipal Medical Officer of Health, Ilala Municipal Council, and as the Municipal Hospital Director and Coordinator for Care and Treatment for People Living with HIV/AIDS. She was a General Medical Practitioner from 1991–1997.
Dr Lyimo is medical doctor with a master’s degree in hospital management from the University of Leeds, Nuffield Institute for Health, and has various diplomas and certificates in public health disciplines from various universities. Dr Lyimo completed her internship at the Muhimbili Medical Centre in 1990–1991.
Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele
Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, Independent Consultant, currently serves as Senior Advisor to the Health Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo on matters related to Health Security and Ebola outbreak response. He also served as the Director of the Department of Vaccines and Immunization, WHO Headquarters, from 2004 to 2017 when he retired from WHO.
During his 37 years in public health, Dr Okwo-Bele has worked at operational and national levels, at the WHO regional office for Africa as well as at the UNICEF and WHO Headquarters mainly in support of child health, disease control and immunization programmes, contributing to policy formulation, capacity building, programme planning and evaluation, and disease surveillance. From 1993 to 2002, he directed the Polio Eradication Initiative in Africa, resulting in the reduction of polio endemic countries from 34 to 2. At WHO Headquarters, he facilitated the adoption of the Global Vaccine Action Plan 2011-2020 by the World Health Assembly and strengthened the WHO’s vaccine policy-making processes through the Strategic Advisor Group of Experts (SAGE). He has been involved with the Gavi Alliance since its inception and was a member of the GAVI Alliance Policy and Programme Board Committee (PPC) for several years.
He received his Medical Degree from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kinshasa in 1981 and the Master of Public Health Degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 1986.
Helen Rees
Dr Helen Rees is the Founder and Executive Director of the Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. She is the Co-Director of the Wits African Leadership Initiative in Vaccinology Excellence (ALIVE), a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Witwatersrand, and an Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is a Fellow of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge University.
Dr Rees is internationally renowned for her policy and research work in vaccines, reproductive health and HIV. She has chaired many national and international committees. She currently chairs the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) Board as well as the World Health Organization’s (WHO) African Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group, the WHO’s IHR Emergency Review Committee on Polio, is Co-Chair of WHO’s Ebola Vaccine Working Group and a member of WHO’s IHR Ebola Emergency Committee. She is the Co-Chair of the South African National Health Data Advisory and Coordination Committee, a member of South Africa’s National Advisory Group on Immunization and a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases. She serves on the Boards of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and of AVAC. Professor Rees chairs the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI) Scientific Advisory Board and is Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Advisory Group on HPV Vaccines.
Her research interests include HIV/AIDS prevention, STIs, microbicides, HIV and HPV vaccines, and broader issues relating to women’s health.
Jane Soepardi
Dr Jane Soepardi is the former Director of Vector Borne and Zoonotic Disease Control in the Ministry of Health, Government of Indonesia. Other posts she held previously within the Ministry have included Director of Child Health, Head of the Center for Data and Information; National TB Program Manager; National Immunization Program Manager; Medical Officer, Immunization; and Head of the Health Center in Insana in the Province of East Nusa Tenggara.
Rachel Tolhurst
Rachel is a social scientist with a background in gender, development and health. Her research interests and experience centre on qualitative research on gender and equity in health systems strengthening and the social determinants of health. Her research has included a focus on a range of health areas including maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender based violence, antimicrobial resistance and communicable and chronic disease (including malaria, tuberculosis, lung disease and HIV).
Rachel is currently the Social Sciences lead for the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Lung Health and Tuberculosis in Africa at LSTM, and for the Drivers of Antimicrobial Resistance (DRUM) consortium (GCRF). She also leads the gender equitable careers theme on the DELTAS Learning Research Programme, in collaboration with the Capacity Research Unit.
Recent previous research has included leading LSTM’s contributions to two EU-funded consortia - MATIND, which evaluated two demand-side financing approaches to improving maternal health in India, and INPAC, which aimed to test an intervention to improve post-abortion family planning in China - as well as leading MRC-funded social science research exploring the drivers of child marriage in Sudan.
Cesar Victora
Dr Cesar G. Victora is Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil, where he has worked since 1977. He has honorary appointments at Harvard, Oxford and Johns Hopkins Universities. He has conducted extensive research in maternal and child health and nutrition, birth cohort studies, inequalities in health, and on the evaluation of the impact of major global health programs in a large number of countries. He was a founding member of the “Countdown to 2015: Maternal, Newborn and Child Health” initiative and is one of the leaders of the ongoing “Countdown to 2030” initiative.
In Pelotas, he coordinates the International Center for Equity in Health. He has over 700 peer-reviewed publications and is a member of the editorial boards of several journals, including The Lancet. He was President of the International Epidemiological Association (2011-14), and won the Canada Gairdner Global Health Award in 2017.