We are joined by Dr. Githinji Gitahi, CEO of Amref Health Africa, for a discussion on how to strengthen health systems in Africa, using Kenya as a national case study.
We will look at how Amref works in partnership with the public, private, and social sector to increase sustainable health access to communities through solutions in human resources for health, health services delivery, and investments in health. With an eye to entrepreneurial and sustainable approaches, and amid the backdrop of a protracted COVID-19 crisis, a powerful economic and health impact case is to be made for investing in community health system strengthening.
Amref Health Africa, is the leading health development international NGO in Africa, headquartered in Africa since 1957. It reaches more than 12 million beneficiaries annually over through 150 health projects in 35 countries of Africa.
A passionate advocate for pro-poor Universal Health Coverage, Dr. Githinji Gitahi joined Amref Health Africa as the Global Chief Executive Officer in June 2015. Until his appointment to Amref Health Africa, Dr. Gitahi was the Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, Smile Train International. Prior to that, Dr. Gitahi was Managing Director for Monitor Publications in Uganda as well as General Manager for Marketing and Circulation in East Africa for the Nation Media Group.
Dr. Gitahi is Co-Chair of the UHC2030 Steering Committee, a global World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO) initiative for Universal Health Coverage (UHC). He is a member of the Governing Board of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and prevention (Africa CDC), a specialized technical institution under the African Union. He serves as a member of the Africa Union’s COVID19 Response Committee. He is a member of the Board of Directors of The Standard Group in Kenya, and was recently appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of Safaricom Foundation.
Dr. Gitahi Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine from the University of Nairobi; a Master’s degree in Business Administration, majoring in Marketing, from United States International University and has a Certificate for Strategic Perspectives for Nonprofit Management from Harvard University. In 2018, Dr. Githinji received a presidential commendation, ‘Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear’ (MBS) in recognition of outstanding contribution to the health sector in his continuing work at the helm of Amref Health Africa.