The Partnership Board is the governing body of the Partnership and leads the Partnership in the drive towards achieving the vision through its strategies and associated operational plans.
In June 2016, the RBM Partnership named a new board to lead the global organisation into a new era and drive momentum to end malaria for good. Read message from the newly elected Chair of the RBM Partnership Board. This new Partnership Board includes individuals with deep expertise and experience at a senior decision-making level as well as representation from across the Partnership, including malaria-affected countries, private sector, civil society, donor funding organisations, and entities outside the malaria and health sectors, civil society and donors.
Professor Maha Taysir Barakat
Former Director General of the Health Authority Abu Dhabi
Professor Maha Taysir Barakat has held the post of Director General of the Health Authority Abu Dhabi from 2013 until 2018. Previously, she was Co-Founder, Medical & Research Director and Consultant Endocrinologist at the Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC) in Abu Dhabi, and Reader at Imperial College London. In 2013, she became a visiting Professor at Imperial College London.
She has served as a member of the Social Development Committee of the Executive Council of the Government of Abu Dhabi, and Board member of several Government of Abu Dhabi-related entities including the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University, the Family Development Foundation, the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, and the Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi.
As part of her role within the Health Authority, in addition to the fight against lifestyle-related disease, Professor Barakat has supported several public health eradication campaigns against communicable disease both within the UAE and internationally, including Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
For her work to the community in the UAE, Professor Barakat was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010, was awarded the Abu Dhabi Prize in 2011, and given the Imperial College Medal in 2013.
Dr Marijke Wijnroks
Chief of Staff, Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria
Marijke Wijnroks became Chief of Staff at the Global Fund in 2013. From June 2017 through February 2018, she served as Interim Executive Director. In her position she has a broad responsibility and a particular focus on gender and human rights and on engaging with all partners in the cause of global health. Before joining the Global Fund, Marijke Wijnroks was Ambassador for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, and also Deputy Director of the Social Development Department, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands. In that position she has overseen policy and strategy development in areas related to HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender, education and civil society. She earned a medical degree from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and a degree in tropical health and medicine from the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium.
Mr Elhadj As Sy
Chair, Kofi Annan Foundation Board
Elhadj As Sy is the Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation Board, and Co-chair of the WHO/World Bank Global Pandemic Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB). In addition to these functions, Mr. Sy is also a Commissioner for the Global Commission on Climate Adaptation, Governor at the Wellcome Trust, and a member of the Governing Board of Interpeace as well as numerous other boards and organizations.
Mr. Sy has extensive experience in leadership roles in the humanitarian, health, environment, development sectors, and has previously served as the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) IFRC ‐ the world’s largest humanitarian network. Prior to this appointment, he served at a senior level with UNICEF, UNAIDS, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and other agencies for more than 25 years.
Mr. Sy was UNICEF’s Director of Partnerships and Resource Development in New York. He has also served as UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa and Global
Emergency Coordinator for the Horn of Africa. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Sy was Director, HIV/AIDS Practice with the United Nations Development Programme in New York. Before that, he worked with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as its Africa Regional Director and later as Director of Operational Partnerships and Country Support in Geneva. Mr. Sy has also held the position of UNAIDS Representative in New York and Director of the New York Liaison Office. From 1988 to 1997, he served as Director of Health and Development Programmes with Environment and Development Action in the Third World in Dakar, Senegal.
Mr. Sy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Human Sciences from the University of Dakar. He then pursued Master’s studies in Arts and Germanistik at the University of Graz, and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. He was also awarded a post graduate diploma in Education from the École normale supérieure in Dakar. He speaks English, French and German and is a national of Senegal
Sherwin Charles is a Co-founder of Goodbye Malaria and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. He has more than a decade of experience in the banking and financial services industry and began his career at Ernst & Young. In 2006, he joined the Nando’s team, focusing on finance and treasury. He helped Nando’s grow their support for malaria elimination, becoming one of the first African corporates to donate to the Global Fund and with Nando’s support launched Goodbye Malaria with Robbie Brozin and Kim Lazarus.
Dr Elizabeth Chizema serves as African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) End Malaria Council Secretariat Officer based in Zambia. The End Malaria Council (EMC) is a country owned country led high-level multi-sector body convened to support malaria elimination efforts through advocacy, resource mobilization, action and accountability. As Secretariat Officer, Elizabeth Chizema helps to establish the country EMC, providing advisory support on the EMC management and documentation of the EMC actions, supporting advocacy and mobilization of resources for malaria elimination. She has over 30 years of technical and health management experience; previously held the position of Director, National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Zambia and Director of various technical departments at the Ministry of Health in Zambia. She serves on a number of national and international boards, as Faculty in the Science of Eradication: Malaria –Leadership Development Course and as WHO Temporary Advisor. Dr. Chizema holds a BSc Human Biology, a medical degree from the University of Zambia, a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a Higher Diploma in District Health Management (PAID-ESA/KIT).
Dr Lola Dare is an award-winning community physician, epidemiologist, public health practitioner, development consultant, social entrepreneur and irrepressible global health advocate for women, girls, young persons for over 30 years. She has championed the application of evidence and data for policy, evaluation and accountability demand functions of a broad range of non-state actors including civil society and community-based organizations, private sector and the media. She is currently the President of CHESTRAD Global Development Synergies, a trail blazing and award winning African-led social enterprise operating in Africa, Europe and North America with its headquarters office in Nigeria. She has served in many roles in governance mechanisms in Africa and internationally, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, GAVI and the African Union. Dr Lola Dare is a graduate of the College of Medicine University of Ibadan, Nigeria’s foremost College of Medicine, and holds a Master’s degree in Epidemiology.
Dr Altaf Lal
Senior Advisor Global Health and Innovation Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited
Dr Lal is Senior Advisor for Global Health and Innovation, Sun Pharma. With vast interest and knowledge of Discovery, Development, Delivery, and Diplomacy in biomedical sciences and public healthDr Altaf Lal has over three decades’ experience in malaria and infectious disease laboratory and field research, vaccinology, biotechnology, product safety, and health policy. He has strong leadership skills using science-based decision making, strategic thinking, and fostering teamwork approach.
Throughout his career Dr. Lal has worked towards building bilateral and multilateral partnerships, which has led to significant growth and collaborations at academic, institutional, industry and government levels. He has received FDA Commissioner’s Special Citation Award, Unit Citation Award, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Oceanic Service, James H. Nakano Citation, National Center for Infectious Disease (NICD), CDC, Outstanding Scientific Contribution to Public Health Award, NCID, CDC, Honor Award, NICD, CDC, Group Honor Award for Operational Research, NCID, CDC. He is recipient of the Life Time Achievement Award in 2016 and the Gugnani Oration Award in 2011 by the Indian Society of Malaria and other Communicable Diseases, Public Health Ambassador Award, NICD, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2009, and HIV/AIDS Ambassador Award, Hyderabad University, 2007.
Previously, Dr. Lal served as the Director of FDA India Office; Technical Director, Decade of Vaccines Collaboration; Chief Executive Officer, Hilleman Laboratories, U.S. Health Attaché and Regional Representative for South Asia at the U.S. Embassy in India; Chief Malaria Vaccine Section at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA. Dr. Lal has published over 220 papers.
Dr Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho, MD; MPH; M.MED
Former Assistant Director General for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization
Dr. Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho has more than 35 years’ experience in key senior leadership positions in health, public health, global health and international cooperation. She served as the World Health Organization’s Assistant Director General for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases until her retirement on 31 December 2015. She led WHO’s work in prevention, control, impact-mitigation, technical support to countries; and global partnerships to combat these diseases, thus contributing to achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Her vision and leadership also ensured effective transition of the WHO’s HTM Cluster’s work from the MDG to the SDG framework.
Previously Dr. Mpanju-Shumbusho deputized the WHO ADG/HTM; and concurrently directed the WHO’s Office for Global Fund Partnership and Technical Cooperation, including WHO’s technical support to countries, that facilitated eligible countries’ access and utilisation of more than 10 billion USD from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and contribute to health systems strengthening.
Earlier she served as Director of the WHO’s HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programme and co-founder of the WHO 3by5 Initiative.
She has also served as a member of various international boards, including the Global Fund Board, “Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases”Board; WHO/UNICEF-UNDP-World Bank Special Programme for research and training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) Board; UNITAID Board and UNAIDS Programme Coordination Board; Adventures in Health, Education and Agricultural Development (AHEAD Inc.) International Board; and Tanzania National Water Authority Board.
Prior to joining WHO, Dr Mpanju-Shumbusho was Director General of the Commonwealth Regional Health Community Secretariat for East, Central and Southern Africa (now known as the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community Secretariat), where she spearheaded policies and mobilised political commitment, resources and partnerships to tackle the Region’s public health priorities. She also served as the Head of the University of Dar-es-salaam’s Department of Community Health; Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics & Child Health and Community Health; Chief Public Health Adviser to the Ministry of Health of Tanzania; and International Monitor of multi-country clinical trials for malaria drugs and vaccines on behalf WHO/TDR.
Dr. Mpanju-Shumbusho has won various leadership, humanitarian and academic awards, including the AHEAD Humanitarian Award; and she has published widely.
As a native of a malaria endemic country, Dr Mpanju-Shumbusho brings a multi-faceted perspective to the RBM Board, along with her unwavering commitment and resolve to end the scourge of malaria.
Dr David Reddy
Chief Executive Officer, Medicines for Malaria Venture
Dr David Reddy, PhD, is CEO of Medicines for Malaria Venture. This not-for-profit research foundation, with its partners, has brought forward 13 new antimalarial drugs to malaria-endemic countries, saving an estimated 2 million lives to date. In addition, MMV has broadened the global malaria medicine portfolio and manages, with its partners, 65 projects, and has 10 compounds in clinical development including molecules with novel mechanisms of action, conferring benefits against drug resistant malaria parasites.
David is a New Zealand / Swiss dual national, with 26 years of experience in the development and commercialization of medicines for the treatment of infectious diseases. His resume includes successful leadership of drug development teams, licensing and alliance management, market analytics and business planning, product and disease area management, and interfacing with Governments, NGOs and patient advocacy groups around access to medicines for priority diseases including HIV/AIDS and pandemic influenza. David is a Board member of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria and of the Board of Trustees of Malaria No More UK. David has a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Dr Helen Jamet,
Deputy Director, Vector Control, Malaria, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Dr Helen Jamet has more than 20 years of experience in malaria prevention, research and vector control product development. She joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2018 as Deputy Director, Vector Control in the malaria programme strategy team.
Helen worked in the private sector from 2007 to 2018, where she was responsible for product development and defining the pathway to bring new products to market, including the first next-generation long lasting insecticidal mosquito net. Prior to joining the private sector, Helen was based in Tanzania, where she conducted field research and evaluated mosquito traps being developed for the African market.
Helen holds a PhD in Infectious Diseases and a Master of Science in Medical Parasitology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science (Hons) in Applied Biology from the University of Leeds in the UK. She is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene and the Royal Entomological Society.
Dr John M. Chimumbwa
Dr John M. Chimumbwa has more than two decades of experience leading large healthcare programmes in Africa in the field of child survival, health systems strengthening, and commodities planning and management. Dr Chimumbwa is a Zambian national, currently serving as Executive Director of the SADC Malaria Elimination 8 Secretariat, a coalition of eight southern African countries working across national borders to eliminate malaria. Having started his career as a National Malaria Programme Manager in his home country, Dr Chimumbwa has demonstrated high-quality leadership facilitating and coordinating collaboration among governments, development partners and beneficiaries, as well as building private-public partnerships and participatory approaches to development. His work has been recognized with prestigious awards, and he sits on several professional bodies, frequently holding the position of chair or advisor. Dr Chimumbwa’s academic qualifications include three University degrees, and authorship of numerous publications. Apart from English and basic French, he speaks several African dialects.
Professor Juntra Karbwang-Laothavorn MD, DTM&H, PhD
President of SIDCER-FERCAP Foundation, Thailand.
Professor Juntra Karbwang-Laothavorn is the President of the Strategic Initiative for Developing Capacity in Ethical Review (SIDCER)-Forum for Ethical Review Committees in the Asian and Western Pacific Region (FERCAP) Foundation, Thailand. Since taking this position in 2017, she has played a leadership role in maintaining the Ethics Committee Partnership in Asia and Africa for strengthening the capacity of research ethics.
Professor Juntra brings over 30 years of experience in tropical medicine and antimalarial research, having worked as a clinical coordinator at the WHO Special Training and Research Programme in Tropical Diseases, a professor in clinical tropical medicine at Mahidol University, Thailand, and a professor in clinical product development at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Japan. She holds a Medical Degree from the South Western University, Philippines, the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the Tropical Institute, Thailand and a PhD in Clinical Pharmacology from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Mr Issa Matta
Senior Legal Officer, Office of the Legal Counsel, World Health Organization
Issa Matta is Senior Legal Officer who joined WHO in 2003. His principal responsibilities include legal and governance support to WHO, networks, partnerships and alliances, the WHO Foundation, the WHO Academy and on legal matters relating to engagement with International Financial Institutions, non-state actors, as well as commercial and contractual issues. In addition to being on the RBM Board, Issa is also the alternate Board member representing WHO on the UNITAID Board.
In 2008, Issa spent a year as a senior lawyer at the Global Fund. He also acquired significant private sector legal experience during his time as corporate counsel with the pharmaceutical company Merck-Serono as well as in-house attorney with the global consulting firm Andersen. Issa began his career as a legal consultant in the Abu Dhabi Office of a leading New York based international law firm.
Issa has a J.D. from the University of Virginia and is admitted as an attorney before the New York bar. Prior to his legal studies, Issa specialized in international relations with a focus on the Middle East.
Issa is from Lebanon and also lived in Jordan, Kenya, Iraq, UAE, and the USA.
United Nations Office for Project Services
The United Nations Offices for Project Services (UNOPS) serves as the host of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria. UNOPS serves in an ex-officio function on the Partnership Board.