Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, a dynamic chief in world well being, will be a part of VillageReach as our incoming CEO in Could, 2025. He’ll carry his huge experience, advocating for and implementing systemic well being reforms throughout Africa. Dr. Ogwell’s management is marked by his dedication to bettering well being outcomes via revolutionary methods and collaborative efforts with governments, non-public sector and companions.
Most lately, Dr. Ogwell served because the Vice President of International Well being Technique on the United Nations Basis, managing a major portfolio aligned with the UN’s key initiatives, together with world well being coverage, advocacy, convening, thought management and grant-making.
With practically 30 years of expertise, Dr. Ogwell has held distinguished roles on the Africa Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (Africa CDC), the place he drove the imaginative and prescient of Africa’s New Public Well being Order and managed the continent’s COVID-19 response . He has additionally made an affect whereas on the World Well being Group in Geneva and the Regional Workplace for Africa, influencing local-level challenges utilizing world information and in Kenya’s Ministry of Well being, overseeing well being diplomacy and non-communicable illnesses (NCDs).
A well-respected public well being skilled, Dr. Ogwell’s experience consists of well being emergencies, prevention and management of NCDs, well being coverage design and world well being diplomacy. He has led worldwide well being negotiations for coverage change in Africa. A Kenyan nationwide, Dr. Ogwell, based the Workplace for Worldwide Well being Relations and the Division for NCDs on the Ministry of Well being of Kenya. He holds superior levels from the College of Nairobi and the College of Bergen.
Dr. Ogwell shared, “We’re at a vital second the place we should sort out the multifaceted challenges of world well being, from infectious illness outbreaks to funding uncertainties. To do that, we should unite our efforts, innovate options and strengthen well being techniques. VillageReach has been addressing advanced well being care challenges for 25 years. I’m honored to affix VillageReach at this essential time to confront these points and obtain our 2030 objectives.”
VillageReach is deeply dedicated to its 2030 Technique, which is now progressing into its second yr. The technique focuses on responsive main well being care that features making well being providers extra accessible when they’re wanted, adapting to modifications in demand and higher absorbing shocks and stresses whereas responding to the wants and preferences of under-reached communities. It goals to scale back inequities in entry to high quality main well being care. Dr. Ogwell might be pivotal in constructing on the robust basis established because the technique’s launch. His experience and relationships might be important in supporting authorities wants and making certain the success of nationwide plans.
Sena Kwawu, Board Chair, stated, “We’re experiencing unprecedented change ensuing from important support disruptions for a lot of international locations the place we work. Nobody might have predicted this after we started trying to find the precise chief for VillageReach. With Dr. Ogwell’s deep information of well being techniques in Africa and the sturdy 2030 Technique we now have in place, the Board is assured in his potential to navigate VillageReach via these mercurial occasions and proceed making a significant affect.”
Dr. Ogwell will succeed Emily Bancroft, who has served as VillageReach’s CEO since 2017. Bancroft’s management was instrumental within the group’s progress and success throughout her tenure, setting the inspiration for the bold technique and notably growing entry to high quality well being care from 20 million to 111 million individuals.
VillageReach’s mission to rework well being care supply to achieve everybody has by no means been extra crucial, particularly with latest setbacks within the sector. Beneath Dr. Ogwell’s management, we’re assured in our potential to ship on our mission, obtain our strategic objectives and be sure that under-reached communities obtain the well being care they should thrive.
About VillageReach
VillageReach works with governments, the non-public sector, companions and communities to construct responsive main well being care techniques that ship well being services and products to probably the most under-reached. As a domestically pushed and globally linked group working throughout Africa, VillageReach’s main objective is to scale back inequities in entry to high quality main well being care in well being techniques reaching 350 million individuals by 2030.
