Country Leaders

  • Emad Aziz, MD Chief of Party, Namibia HIV Prevention, Care and Support Program, Namibia

    Dr. Emad Aziz’s primary areas of expertise are in pediatrics, HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. Before joining IntraHealth, Dr. Aziz served as head of the pediatrics department at Onandjokwe Lutheran Hospital in Namibia. With 23 years of medical experience, Dr. Aziz’s research includes work on epidemiology, drug costs in inpatient services, mortality in pediatric patients on HAART, and adherence factors in semirural hospitals in Namibia. Dr. Aziz received his MSc Pediatrics from the Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo.

  • Jonas Chanda, MD Country Program Director, SAHCD Coalition, Swaziland

    Dr. Jonas Chanda is a clinical expert in HIV/AIDS and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) with ten years of experience in HIV/AIDS research, care, and treatment programs, as well as in the management of other infectious diseases in resource-limited settings, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Chanda previously worked for the International Center for AIDS Care and Treatment Programs (ICAP), where he led its largest PMTCT/MTCT-Plus program in Nigeria. While working for the CDC in Botswana, he was awarded the US State Department’s Extra Mile Award for Outstanding Performance.

  • Perle Combary, PhD Regional Program Director SAHCD Coalition

    Dr. Perle Combary has over 25 years of experience with programming, management and evaluation in the areas of population, child survival, reproductive health, health financing, community-based services, and health personnel performance improvement.  She has served 14 years as IntraHealth’s Senior Program/Evaluation Officer and as Associate Director of Programs for West Africa and 12 years within a USAID country office in Africa. She has worked in Burkina Faso, Togo, Senegal and Benin. As Benin Country Director, Dr. Combary provided overall technical guidance to the ACQUIRE/Benin’s program and from 2006 to 2009, she served as Technical and Operations Managers providing technical and management support to Senegal, Togo, Nigeria, Rwanda, Madagascar and Mali. Dr. Combary has a PhD in Sociology from the Université of Paris VIII in France and a Masters in Information Science. She is fluent in English and French.

  • Phiny Hanson, PhD Country Program Director, SAHCD Coalition, Lesotho

    Dr. Phiny Hanson has worked for more than two decades to improve health in Lesotho. In 1989 she facilitated the establishment of the nutrition program within the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and later guided the development of the country’s first national nutrition policy. She has also played a key role in assisting the government in establishing the human resources for health working group, emergency human resources plan, and a capacity development framework for better management of the health workforce. She is the president of both the Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association and the Lesotho Nutrition and Dietetics Society.

  • Caroline Karutu, MPH CDC Project Director, Southern Sudan

    Caroline Karutu is a public health professional with more than 10 years’ experience at international and local NGOs. She has worked with governments in East Africa to develop HIV/AIDS policies, guidelines, and frameworks. Ms. Karutu has extensive experience in HIV/AIDS programming in emergency and postconflict settings. She holds an MPH from the Boston University School of Public Health, where she was awarded the women’s guild award for academic excellence, a tuition merit scholarship, and received the PEO International Peace Scholarship.

  • Jennifer Macias, MPH Country Director, Human Resources Capacity Project, Tanzania

    Jennifer Macias has two decades of experience in managing international public health programs. She previously served as the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation’s managing director of international programs, and directed Jhpiego’s Africa office for three years. Ms. Macias holds an MPH in population planning and international health and has published several peer-reviewed articles on public health in developing countries.

  • Deliwe Malema, MA Country Program Director, SAHCD Coalition, Malawi

    Ms. Malema is a family planning champion with experience in management, clinical medicine and training. Ms. Malema’s technical expertise includes Family Planning, Long Term and Permanent Methods, Post abortion care, and HIV/AIDS.  Before joining IntraHealth she worked with Engender Health, Management Science for Health, Ministry of Health and Population in Malawi, Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), Malawi Local Government Association on HIV/AIDS and Gender.  Ms. Malema also did a consultancy on repositioning family planning in 2005 under POPTECH.  Ms. Malema has a Masters of Art Degree in Public Health from University of Leeds.  

  • Patricia McLaughlin, MA, MSW Community PMTCT Project Director, Ethiopia

    Patricia McLaughlin has 15 years of experience providing technical leadership in HIV/AIDS programs, service delivery, disaster preparedness, supportive supervision, and institutional capacity-building. She previously served as deputy director in Ethiopia for the IntraHealth-led Capacity Project. Prior to joining IntraHealth, Ms. McLaughlin served as director of the Technical Services Unit for the American Red Cross. With Concern Worldwide in Mozambique, she designed programs and wrote proposals for participatory rural development, district planning, and education.

  • Kimani Mungai, MA Kenya Program Director, Capacity Kenya

    Kimani Mungai has 12 years of experience in HIV programming, human resource development and management, and organizational/institutional development.  Previously, Mr. Mungai worked throughout Africa for SIL International Inc. and in Kenya for CARE International. More recently, he managed an HIV prevention and care project funded by the UK Department for International Development. Mr. Mungai received his MA from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.

  • Moshi Ntabaye, PhD, DDS Project Director, Provider-Initiated Testing and Counseling Project, Tanzania

    Dr. Moshi Ntabaye has 15 years of project management experience in the health sector. His expertise ranges from strategic and operational planning for reproductive health, family planning, and HIV/AIDS to resource management and fundraising. Previously he worked for the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and for EngenderHealth, Skillshare International, and Marie Stopes in Tanzania. He has also consulted for organizations such as WHO and the United Nations Population Fund. Dr. Ntabaye received his PhD from the University of Aarhus and his DDS from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

  • Vincent Oketcho Okoth, MD, MCH Chief of Party, Uganda Capacity Program, Uganda

    Dr. Vincent Oketcho has worked in Ugandan and East African health care for 26 years, as a physician and as a leader in human resources for health. Dr. Oketcho brings his experience and public health training to the IntraHealth-led Uganda Capacity Program. Prior to working with IntraHealth he served as the senior human resources for health advisor to Uganda’s Ministry of Health, working on human resources policy, planning, and development. Dr. Oketcho received his MD from Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, and his MCH from Liverpool University, UK.

  • Laurie Noto Parker, MPH Chief of Party, Vistaar Project, India

    Laurie Noto Parker has two decades of experience in managing and leading maternal, child, and reproductive health programs in the US and developing countries. She has extensive experience in working with USAID. She led the Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) program, worked for CARE India, and directed two global health projects led by IntraHealth: PRIME II and the Capacity Project. Ms. Parker received her MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

  • Inna Sacci, MA Chief of Party, Project NOVA, Armenia

    Inna Sacci is a public health professional with 13 years’ experience working in global health, with a specialization in the countries of Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia. She has expertise in program and financial management, training, policy, research, and reproductive health care. Previously, Ms. Sacci worked for EngenderHealth, leading or providing technical management and support for programs in West Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Ms Sacci received her MA from Odessa State University, Odessa, Ukraine.

  • Cheick Touré, MD Country Director, Mali Field Office

    With over ten years of experience as a reproductive health provider and master trainer, Dr. Cheick Touré has special expertise in identifying performance gaps and strengthening service delivery for family planning and reproductive health. Previously, Dr. Touré worked with IntraHealth on the PRIME II project—leading the project in Mali—and has provided technical assistance in reproductive health, performance improvement, and training of trainers to IntraHealth’s projects in Benin, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, and Togo. Dr. Touré received his MD from the University of Bamako, Mali.

  • Yadira Villaseņor, MD, MPH Chief of Party, Central America Capacity Project

    Dr. Yadira Villaseñor is a talented medical professional with almost 20 years of experience in the design and implementation of public health interventions in Central America, including service delivery, training clinicians, and ensuring quality and performance improvement. Her expertise includes applying interventions that encourage community involvement in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS and reducing maternal mortality. Dr. Villaseñor’s approach to family planning and HIV prevention incorporates innovative gender and stigma reduction initiatives.