Dr. Alarcos Cieza oversees the World Health Organization’s work on vision, hearing, disability and rehabilitation in her position of Unit Head, Sensory Functions, Disability and Rehabilitation. After obtaining her MSc in psychology in Madrid, Spain, she conducted a Master in Public Health and obtained a PhD in Medical Psychology from the Ludwig-Maximillians University in Munich, Germany.

After over 16 years at WHO, Dr. Adelheid Onyango was appointed Director of the Universal Health Coverage/ Healthier Populations Cluster in April 2021. She provides strategic leadership for the WHO work with governments, development partners, civil society groups and communities to promote and protect the health and well-being of all population groups in the WHO African Region. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Kenyatta University in Nairobi and a Master of Science and doctorate degrees in nutrition from McGill University in Canada.

Mr. Sako has a Master’s in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a DESS in health administration and a Bachelors of Pharmacy from the University of Montreal.

Dr. Nassib Tawa is a senior lecturer in Physiotherapy at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology, a post-doctoral researcher at Stellenbosch University, and rehabilitation consultant for WHO Regional Office of Africa. He holds a PhD from the University of the Western Cape. Dr. Tawa has over 10 years of teaching experience in the areas of neuromusculoskeletal, sports and evidence-based practice. His research focus is on evidence synthesis, implementation research and health systems and policy strengthening for rehabilitation within the African setting. He is also the pioneer chairperson of the Physiotherapy Council of Kenya at the Ministry of Health, and the Head Physiotherapist at the Medical Commission of the National Olympic Committee-Kenya.

Pauline works with the World Health Organization Rehabilitation Programme in Geneva, Switzerland. Pauline has worked for WHO for 10 years and was the Disability and Rehabilitation Regional Advisor in their Western Pacific Regional Office from 2011 to 2016. She originally trained as a physiotherapist in Australia and has worked in both the rehabilitation and disability service sector in high and low-income countries for 25 years.

Dr. Albert Domingo has a decade of experience in global public health at country and international levels, having worked with USAID, the World Health Organization, and health officers at all levels. Dr. Domingo uses a health systems strengthening lens in advising ministries of health, social health insurance agencies, national and local government authorities, development partners, health care providers, and patient groups on matters concerning maternal and child care, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and emergency response (COVID-19) in complex devolved settings. Dr. Domingo obtained his Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology and Doctor of Medicine from the University of the Philippines. He was awarded a Chevening Scholarship by the United Kingdom, where he obtained his Master of Science in Health Systems and Public Policy from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

Adeel Ishtiaq is a senior program officer at Results for Development (R4D) working on global health projects. Mr. Ishtiaq holds a BA in economics from the Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan and an MA in international relations from Yale University.