Dr. Bernard S. Haufiku is a Namibian medical doctor and Special Adviser to the Namibian government on health matters with over 20 years of clinical experience both in public and private practice. He is the former Health and Social Services Minister of the Republic of Namibia, having held the position between 2015 and 2018. Dr. Haufiku, an avid supporter of HIV management, primarily focused on reducing maternal mortality by eliminating mother-to-child HIV transmissions while he was a minister.
Dr. Haufiku has also served as the chairperson of Namibia Medical Society (from 2009 to 2012) and a member of the governing board of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC; from 2015 to 2018). Dr. Haufiku has recently accepted a nomination to chair the African Public Health Foundation to be launched by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Union in February 2020.
Dr. Haufiku has studied medicine at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he received the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCH). Furthermore, he holds a diploma in Anesthesiology from the College of Medicine of South Africa. He has taken a clinical course in HIV management at the Foundation for Professional Development in South Africa. Dr. Haufiku had also attended the esteemed Harvard Leadership training in the United States in 2015. In his free time, Dr. Haufiku enjoys playing chess and listening to classical and jazz music.
Dr. Haufiku has also served as the chairperson of Namibia Medical Society (from 2009 to 2012) and a member of the governing board of the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC; from 2015 to 2018). Dr. Haufiku has recently accepted a nomination to chair the African Public Health Foundation to be launched by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Union in February 2020.
Dr. Haufiku has studied medicine at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, where he received the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCH). Furthermore, he holds a diploma in Anesthesiology from the College of Medicine of South Africa. He has taken a clinical course in HIV management at the Foundation for Professional Development in South Africa. Dr. Haufiku had also attended the esteemed Harvard Leadership training in the United States in 2015. In his free time, Dr. Haufiku enjoys playing chess and listening to classical and jazz music.
Francisco F. Songane, former minister of Health of Mozambique (2000-2004), has had an extensive involvement in the international community that has included serving as Executive Committee member and board member of Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. He was also a member of Task Force 4 of the UN Millennium Project (2002-2004), analysing the practicalities of achieving the goals related to maternal and child health, a member of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the International Vaccine Institute, and served in several Advisory Committees.
He was the Founding Director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health hosted at WHO, and later Chair of the Forum 2012 on Research for Health organized by the Council on Health Research for Development, where he served as senior Health Advisor. Further, he was UNICEF Representative in Angola from July 2013 to October 2016 where he was directly involved in the efforts to tackle a major yellow fever epidemic, the worst in the last decade that became a global public health threat. Since April 2020, he is member of the council of the Africa Public Health Foundation, a foundation set up to mobilize resources for Africa CDC.
Dr. Songane trained as a medical doctor and obstetrician / gynaecologist at the Eduardo Mondlane University and Maputo Central Hospital in Maputo, Mozambique as well as at St. James University Hospital in Leeds, England. He has a Master of Public Health degree from Boston University and Master of Science in Financial Economics from the University of London, England. He is married and has three children.
He was the Founding Director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health hosted at WHO, and later Chair of the Forum 2012 on Research for Health organized by the Council on Health Research for Development, where he served as senior Health Advisor. Further, he was UNICEF Representative in Angola from July 2013 to October 2016 where he was directly involved in the efforts to tackle a major yellow fever epidemic, the worst in the last decade that became a global public health threat. Since April 2020, he is member of the council of the Africa Public Health Foundation, a foundation set up to mobilize resources for Africa CDC.
Dr. Songane trained as a medical doctor and obstetrician / gynaecologist at the Eduardo Mondlane University and Maputo Central Hospital in Maputo, Mozambique as well as at St. James University Hospital in Leeds, England. He has a Master of Public Health degree from Boston University and Master of Science in Financial Economics from the University of London, England. He is married and has three children.
Dr Magda Robalo is the Global Managing Director for Women in Global Health (www.womeningh.org). An accomplished global health leader and a trailblazer, she has been lending her voice for equitable access to quality health care, gender equality and social justice throughout her career. She embodies a rich blend of technical, political, and diplomatic skills and experience, forged over thirty years of work across geographies and cultures, with diverse global, regional and local partners, governments, and communities. She is the co-founder and President of the Institute for Global Health and Development (www.ighd-gb.org), a private, non-profit foundation, aimed at advancing women’s leadership in global health and promoting their empowerment by addressing gender inequality and stimulating financial inclusion and integration into the digital, formal economy. Dr Magda Robalo is also the Chair of the Ethics and Governance Committee of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. She is a member of the WHO Global Expert Panel on Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management, a mentor of the Kofi Annan Global Health Program of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, a member of the Africa Group on COVID-19 of the National Academy of Medicine of France and a member of the Malaria Elimination E-8 Board. She led transformative reforms of the health sector as Minister of Public Health (2019-2020) and provided strategic leadership to and effective coordination of the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic as the High Commissioner for COVID-19 in Guinea-Bissau (2020-2021). During her 20 years working experience with the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO, 1998-2018), she rose to the senior roles of Director of Communicable Diseases, WHO Representative to Namibia and Ghana, Malaria Regional Advisor, and held other senior leadership positions. As WHO Representative to Ghana, she played an important role in leading the technical, political, and diplomatic endeavors across the UN and beyond, on the fight against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Dr Robalo is a medical doctor with a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a Master of Sciences degree in Epidemiology. She fluently speaks and writes Portuguese, French and English.
Chairman and Country Delegate Toyota Kenya Limited & CFAO Kenya Limited, Dennis Awori has spent most of his working life in the Motor Industry across East Africa, in which he has held various positions including Sales and Marketing Manager, Branch Manager, General Manager, Managing Director and Chairman.He was the founding Vice Chairman of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (the umbrella body for Kenya’s private sector) and the founding Chairman of the KEPSA Foundation and a Trustee of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He was appointed the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to Japan and Korea from 2003 to 2009. During his tenure he assisted to open a new Embassy in Korea and built strong relations between Kenya and the two countries, especially through their private sectors, in keeping with Kenya’s new focus on economic diplomacy.
Upon his return he rejoined the private sector as Chairman of Toyota East Africa Ltd, covering Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan, with responsibilities in both automotive and non automotive businesses. He is also a non Executive Director of several other companies including three listed ones.
In 2017 he was appointed Chairman and Country Delegate for CFAO Kenya Ltd, Director of CFAO Holdings South Africa and Director of CFAO SAS, wholly owned subsidiaries of Toyota Tsusho Corporation. The CFAO Group is in 35 countries in Africa and does business in another 19 countries through independent Dealers.
CFAO operates in 4 business domains, namely Mobility; Healthcare; Fast Moving Consumer Goods and Agriculture and Technologies, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure.
Dennis has also served on the Boards of the Communications Commission of Kenya, The National Vision 2030 and the country’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). He holds a BSC degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Manchester.
He was appointed the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to Japan and Korea from 2003 to 2009. During his tenure he assisted to open a new Embassy in Korea and built strong relations between Kenya and the two countries, especially through their private sectors, in keeping with Kenya’s new focus on economic diplomacy.
Upon his return he rejoined the private sector as Chairman of Toyota East Africa Ltd, covering Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan, with responsibilities in both automotive and non automotive businesses. He is also a non Executive Director of several other companies including three listed ones.
In 2017 he was appointed Chairman and Country Delegate for CFAO Kenya Ltd, Director of CFAO Holdings South Africa and Director of CFAO SAS, wholly owned subsidiaries of Toyota Tsusho Corporation. The CFAO Group is in 35 countries in Africa and does business in another 19 countries through independent Dealers.
CFAO operates in 4 business domains, namely Mobility; Healthcare; Fast Moving Consumer Goods and Agriculture and Technologies, Renewable Energy and Infrastructure.
Dennis has also served on the Boards of the Communications Commission of Kenya, The National Vision 2030 and the country’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). He holds a BSC degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Manchester.
Dr Lieve Fransen is a medical doctor specialised in infectious diseases and public health and with a PHD in social policies. She is Board member of the Africa Public Health Foundation, and of the African Potential Foundation, in South Africa, Advisor for the T20/ G20 on Global Health, manufacturing and supplies of biologicals and social infrastructure investment, Director supporting Health Initiatives of the Wits health consortium at the University in South Africa, Senior policy advisor for European policy think-thank (EPC- Belgium ).
Between 2015 and 2019 she was Senior Policy Advisor for Royal Philips Health technologies. She was Head of High-Level Task Force experts chaired by President Prodi on the report for long term investors on social infrastructure investment. From 2011 – 2015 she was Director Europe 2020 and Social Policies at European Commission.
From 2008 – 2011: Director Communication for the EU in charge of Representations and from 2001 – 2008: Head of Human Development, Social Cohesion and Employment Unit, European Commission. She was the Founder, Board member and Co-Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and representing European donors while Head of Health, HIV/AIDS and Population department, European Commission, Directorate General for Development and Cooperation.
From 1987 – 1993 she was the Founder and Executive Director of the AIDS Task Force. She worked as a Public Health Advisor for the Minister of Health in Maputo, Mozambique and at the Ministry of Health, Cape-Verde. In 1979 she finalised her Master in Tropical Medicine and Public Health in Antwerp, Belgium and in 1975 she became Doctor in Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics University of Ghent, in Ghent, Belgium.
Between 2015 and 2019 she was Senior Policy Advisor for Royal Philips Health technologies. She was Head of High-Level Task Force experts chaired by President Prodi on the report for long term investors on social infrastructure investment. From 2011 – 2015 she was Director Europe 2020 and Social Policies at European Commission.
From 2008 – 2011: Director Communication for the EU in charge of Representations and from 2001 – 2008: Head of Human Development, Social Cohesion and Employment Unit, European Commission. She was the Founder, Board member and Co-Chair of the Board of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and representing European donors while Head of Health, HIV/AIDS and Population department, European Commission, Directorate General for Development and Cooperation.
From 1987 – 1993 she was the Founder and Executive Director of the AIDS Task Force. She worked as a Public Health Advisor for the Minister of Health in Maputo, Mozambique and at the Ministry of Health, Cape-Verde. In 1979 she finalised her Master in Tropical Medicine and Public Health in Antwerp, Belgium and in 1975 she became Doctor in Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics University of Ghent, in Ghent, Belgium.
Mrs. Helene Echevin is the Chief Executive Officer of C-Care group, Healthcare cluster of CIEL, since July 1, 2019 which regroups all healthcare activities of the CIEL Group including C-Care (Mauritius) Ltd and C-Care (Uganda) Ltd. She is also the Executive Chairperson of C-Care (Mauritius) Ltd since 2017. She joined CIEL Group in March 2017 as Chief Officer-Operational Excellence and since then has played a key role developing the healthcare portfolio and leading CIEL’s operational excellence journey.
Helene formerly worked for Eclosia Group and Harel Mallac Group and counts 22 years of experience in Strategy operations and project management, at both company and corporate levels. She has also been the first lady President of MCCI, Mauritius Chamber of Commerce in 2015-2016. She is also director of other public interest entities like SUN Limited and CIEL Textile Limited.
Helene holds a degree in Engineering from Polytech Engineering School, Montpellier, France and followed Management Executive Program at INSEAD.
Helene formerly worked for Eclosia Group and Harel Mallac Group and counts 22 years of experience in Strategy operations and project management, at both company and corporate levels. She has also been the first lady President of MCCI, Mauritius Chamber of Commerce in 2015-2016. She is also director of other public interest entities like SUN Limited and CIEL Textile Limited.
Helene holds a degree in Engineering from Polytech Engineering School, Montpellier, France and followed Management Executive Program at INSEAD.
As the Protector of the Africa Public Health Foundation, Africa CDC is invited to Council meetings in an advisory and non-voting capacity. Their role is further outline in the Foundation Charter.