WomenLift Health Appoints East Africa Program Director, Marking Further Expansion In Africa

Dr. Norah Akongo Obudho to lead WomenLift Health’s programs in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda

WomenLift Health is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Norah Akongo Obudho as East Africa Program Director, effective August 2021.

A medical doctor and public health specialist, Dr. Obudho brings experience in leadership, management and public health gleaned over a career spanning 15 years. She has designed interventions and led teams in various public health programs including HIV, Maternal Newborn and Child Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and empowerment programs. Dr. Obudho is committed to expanding the power and influence of talented women in global health and leadership.

In her new role she will lead WomenLift Health’s expansion into East Africa, leveraging her experience in technical assistance support, strategic management, capacity development and partnership building to design, lead, grow and implement the WomenLift Health East Africa strategy. As part of the Africa team led by the Africa Partnership Director, Dr. Namwinga Chintu, Dr. Obudho will engage partner institutions and high-level champions to expand the voice and influence of East African women leaders in health, to inspire systemic change in organizations and support the movement for equality.

“It is an honor to join an organization that shares the same ideals and values as I do, and to have the opportunity to work alongside a team of passionate, driven women and male allies dedicated to advancing equality in health leadership through targeted actions at the individual, institutional, and societal levels,” says Dr. Obudho. “While we are beginning to see positive change in health leadership, we still have a lot of work to do to achieve true diversity, inclusion and equality at the highest levels of decision-making, and it’s exciting to be part of a movement that is working to realize that.”

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Nairobi (Kenya) and a master’s degree in Public Health from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel). Dr. Obudho is also a proud alumna of the Afya Bora Consortium, where she attained a certificate in Global Health Leadership through a partnership between the University of Nairobi and the University of Washington. She has led projects funded by USAID, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), European Union, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Bank.

In addition, Dr. Obudho has worked at regional (East and West Africa) and country levels with Planned Parenthood Global, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatrics AIDS Foundation and Mildmay International providing leadership and technical assistance in programs focused on HIV, Orphans and Vulnerable Children, SRHR and health accountability in partnership with ministries of health.

“We are at a pivotal moment in history, where the contributions of women to science, and indeed to health, can no longer be ignored. Prioritizing equality in health leadership is an urgent matter that needs to be addressed at a global, regional and national levels. We look forward to working with Dr. Obudho to drive conversations on the importance of women’s leadership at all these levels and to inspire action toward the change we want to see,” says Dr. Chintu.

 

About WomenLift Health

WomenLift Health is dedicated to expanding the power and influence of women in global health and catalyzing systemic change to achieve gender equality in leadership, resulting in better health outcomes for all. Incubated at Stanford Global Health and with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WomenLift Health advances equality in health leadership through a range of actions at the individual, institutional, and societal levels. Over the course of the next decade, it will expand to serve women in 25 countries – employing a country-owned and country-led model where the strategy and interventions are led, designed, and executed by and with local partners.