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Co-hosted by:

Devex   Seed Global Health   Takeda Pharmaceuticals International


JOICFP    Plan International   World Vision

About the event

Health workers around the globe responding to the COVID-19 pandemic are already working in strained health care systems and facing numerous challenges, including a lack of personal protective equipment and other resources. The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the need for a competent and empowered health workforce, as well as the urgency to ensure front-line personnel have the necessary resources to work safely and effectively.

On the occasion of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Devex hosted a virtual event in partnership with Seed Global Health, Takeda, World Vision, the Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning, and Plan International. The event provided a critical opportunity to call on world leaders and governments to make bold investments in building strong health care workforces that can deliver quality care, efficiently respond to COVID-19 and future pandemics, and ensure that health systems are not ravaged by health crises.

This online event featured health workers from across the health system — including ministries, clinical settings, and the front-line community. They shared their COVID-19 response stories, including commonalities in the challenges they are facing, innovative solutions applied, and the need for maintaining essential health services and reaching populations at the “last mile.” Through this virtual discussion, we highlighted lessons learned and comprehensive steps needed to strengthen the health workforce to achieve universal health coverage.
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The Speakers

Moderator

Deborah Charles

Managing Editor
Devex
Deborah Charles is a veteran foreign and White House correspondent overseeing the global news operation at Devex, She spent more than two decades with Reuters covering coups, wars and the plight of refugees across four continents. Prior to joining Devex, she consulted for the World Bank and worked as an editor at the US State Department.

Ms. Alice Atai

Nursing Officer, Uganda
Plan International
Atai Alice is a nursing officer from Adjumani District West Nile region of Uganda. Mrs. Atai Alice currently works in the pediatric ward and she is in charge of ITC (in-patient therapeutic care) managing children with severe acute malnutrition with complications. She is also acting as the assistant nutrition focal point person for Adjumani district and she is a district trainer for nutrition packages like IYCF (infant and young child feeding practices), IMAM (integrated management of acute malnutrition), and positive deviant hearth approach and baby friendly hospital initiative (BFHI).

Dr. Luis Gadama

Chief of OB/GYN Department
Malawi College of Medicine
Dr Gadama is the scientific lead for the Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Malawi. He is based in Blantyre on the Southern part of Malawi at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital which is a Tertiary Maternity wing which has about twelve thousand deliveries a year. He is involved with teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, clinical service provision, advocating for reproductive health rights to the community and also providing technical policy guidance on reproductive health issues. Currently, he is involved in COVID 19 information dissemination to frontline health workers through holding weekly webinars and formulating local based COVID-19 clinical care guidelines.

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh

Vice President
Republic of Sierra Leone
Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh was born in the Kono district by parents from Port Loko District. His mother hails from Kalangba, in the Lokomasama Chiefdom and his father from Tentefore, in the Kafu Bullom Chiefdom.
Dr. Jalloh started his professional career in the United Nations in March 2000 working as a Program Officer at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Until recently, he worked as a Senior Advisor at the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). His extensive experience allowed him to provide strategic advice in overseeing the efficient functioning of the offices and pillar of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General who also served as the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry

CEO and co-founder
Seed Global Health
Dr. Kerry is the co-founder and the CEO of Seed Global Health. Having worked in resource‐limited settings for over a decade, Dr. Kerry has witnessed health inequities around many places in the world and how shortages of local health providers in their home countries contribute to those inequities. She envisions a solution where the growing number of health professionals interested in global health serve as educators and faculty in these countries to build a pipeline of future in‐country providers and help save lives.

Jill Adhiambo Mattakwa

Kenya Country Manager
JOICFP
Jill Adhiambo Mattakwa is a 34 year old Public Health specialist working as a Program Manager with JOICFP in Kenya. In this role, she leads a team to implement activities to improve Reproductive Health of women in urban slums in Kenya. A big believer in equity to access of health care Jill supports strategies to increase access to quality services for women in reproductive age in the project area with a special focus on adolescents and youth.

Takako Ohyabu

Chief Global Corporate Affairs Officer
Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Takako Ohyabu is the Chief Global Corporate Affairs Officer overseeing corporate communications, public affairs, corporate social responsibility and sustainability for Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. She joined the company in November 2019 as Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer Designate.
Prior to joining Takeda, Ms. Ohyabu led the Global Corporate Communications function at Nissan Motor Corporation. Before that she was with General Electric Company managing corporate communications for a variety of industries and building the GE brand in both developed and emerging markets.
Ms. Ohyabu holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the International Christian University in Japan.

Office Cat

Mouse Catcher
Quarantine land
And both of these, if one would tell the truth, were foreordained unto the holy place, where greatest Peter’s follower hath his seat. While on this quest, for which thou giv’st him praise, he heard the things which of his victory the causes were, and of the Papal Robe. The Chosen Vessel went there afterward, to bring thence confirmation in the faith, through which one enters on salvation’s path. But why should I go there, or who concedes it? I ’m not Aeneas, nor yet Paul am I; me worthy of this, nor I nor others deem. If, therefore, I consent to come, I fear lest foolish be my coming; thou art wise, and canst much better judge than I can talk.”

Office Cat

Mouse Catcher
Quarantine land
And both of these, if one would tell the truth, were foreordained unto the holy place, where greatest Peter’s follower hath his seat. While on this quest, for which thou giv’st him praise, he heard the things which of his victory the causes were, and of the Papal Robe. The Chosen Vessel went there afterward, to bring thence confirmation in the faith, through which one enters on salvation’s path. But why should I go there, or who concedes it? I ’m not Aeneas, nor yet Paul am I; me worthy of this, nor I nor others deem. If, therefore, I consent to come, I fear lest foolish be my coming; thou art wise, and canst much better judge than I can talk.”

Office Cat

Mouse Catcher
Quarantine land
And both of these, if one would tell the truth, were foreordained unto the holy place, where greatest Peter’s follower hath his seat. While on this quest, for which thou giv’st him praise, he heard the things which of his victory the causes were, and of the Papal Robe. The Chosen Vessel went there afterward, to bring thence confirmation in the faith, through which one enters on salvation’s path. But why should I go there, or who concedes it? I ’m not Aeneas, nor yet Paul am I; me worthy of this, nor I nor others deem. If, therefore, I consent to come, I fear lest foolish be my coming; thou art wise, and canst much better judge than I can talk.”

Office Cat

Mouse Catcher
Quarantine land
And both of these, if one would tell the truth, were foreordained unto the holy place, where greatest Peter’s follower hath his seat. While on this quest, for which thou giv’st him praise, he heard the things which of his victory the causes were, and of the Papal Robe. The Chosen Vessel went there afterward, to bring thence confirmation in the faith, through which one enters on salvation’s path. But why should I go there, or who concedes it? I ’m not Aeneas, nor yet Paul am I; me worthy of this, nor I nor others deem. If, therefore, I consent to come, I fear lest foolish be my coming; thou art wise, and canst much better judge than I can talk.”

Samson Udho

Midwife; Lecturer of Midwifery & Health
Lira University
Mr. Udho Samson is a Midwifery & Women’s Health Lecturer at Lira University, a Public University located in Lira City, Northern Uganda. He is a passionate midwife and a Young Midwife Leader (YML) with International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). He has five years’ experience of teaching and clinical work largely in the post-conflict Northern part of Uganda. Samson is also the Clinical Supervisor-Midwifery at Lira University Hospital where he is tasked with the role of overseeing clinical work, mobilizing midwives and ensuring that their knowledge and practice are up to date through continuous professional development (CPD) training. Samson is regarded a resonant leader who models his leadership on friendship, teamwork, collaboration, & responsibility and accountability. He aspires to develop as a global midwifery educationist and a research leader in the area of safe motherhood, respectful maternity care and violence against women with a special interests in working with adolescents, teenagers, and HIV/AIDS clients.

Awungshi Mayonmi Zimik

Community Health Coordinator, Sagar Health Project
World Vision India
Awungshi has been working for Takeda project through Sagar Health Project of World Vision India since the very beginning of the project. He is based in one of the remotest clusters called Khimlasa where he works with a population of 41,651 which includes 2,567 children aged 0 to 59 months and 310 pregnant women. Day and night, Awungshi lives with them, experiencing the same challenges they face, eating the same food they eat and learning their language.
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