The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities,is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies and protocols,increasing access to birth control,and leading campaigns against child marriage,gender-based violence,obstetric fistula,and female genital mutilation.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) is the main advocate for accelerated,comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Women's health differs from that of men in many unique ways. Women's health is an example of population health,where health is defined by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical,mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Often treated as simply women's reproductive health,many groups argue for a broader definition pertaining to the overall health of women,better expressed as "The health of women". These differences are further exacerbated in developing countries where women,whose health includes both their risks and experiences,are further disadvantaged.
Sir Peter Karel,Baron Piot,is a Belgian-British microbiologist known for his research into Ebola and AIDS.
Nafis Sadik was a Pakistani physician,Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General with additional responsibilities as Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia,and former executive director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) from 1987 to 2000. She retired from the post in December 2000.
An under-secretary-general of the United Nations (USG) is a senior official within the United Nations System,normally appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the secretary-general for a renewable term of four years. Under-secretary-general is the third highest rank in the United Nations,after the secretary-general and the deputy secretary-general. The rank is held by the heads of different UN entities,certain high officials of the United Nations Secretariat,and high-level envoys. The United Nations regards the rank as equal to that of a cabinet minister of a member state,and under-secretaries-general have diplomatic immunity under the UN Charter.
Anna Gunilla Carlsson is a Swedish politician and a member of the Moderate Party. She served as Minister for International Development Cooperation from 2006 to 2013,member of the Swedish Riksdag from 2002 to 2013 and deputy chairman of her party from 2003 to 2015.
Manuel Carballo is an epidemiologist and Executive Director of the International Centre for Migration,Health and Development and former Professor of Clinical Public Health at the Mailman School of Public Health,Columbia University,in New York.
Omar Abdi is a Somali-Canadian diplomat. He serves as the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Babatunde Osotimehin was a Nigerian physician,who served as Minister of Health,and in 2011 became the executive director of the United Nations Population Fund,holding the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations,reappointed in August 2014 until his death. Osotimehin's interests were youth and gender,and he advocated for reproductive health and reproductive rights,particularly within the context of the HIV epidemic. One of his strengths was his reliance on data and evidence.
Winifred Byanyima,is a Ugandan aeronautical engineer,politician,human rights activist,feminist and diplomat. She is the executive director of UNAIDS,effective November 2019.
Carole Presern has been executive director of The Partnership for Maternal,Newborn &Child Health (PMNCH) since January 2011.
Bunmi Makinwa is the Chief Executive Officer of AUNIQUEI,a private entrepreneurial initiative in communication for leadership. He is a leader in management,communication,and development. Previously,he was the Africa Regional Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA);Director of UNAIDS New York Office;Director and Representative of UNAIDS to the Africa Union Commission in Addis Ababa. He has worked for Family Health International (FHI),Programme for Appropriate Technology for Health (PATH) and World Health Organization. Makinwa was Nigeria's candidate for the post of Executive Director of UNFPA in 2010. He is currently the Chair of the Board of African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC).
Toyin Ojora-SarakiLLB,LLM,BL is a global health advocate,healthcare philanthropist and the Founder-President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa.
Frederick Torgbor Sai, was a Ghanaian academic and family health physician who co-founded the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana in 1967. A gender and reproductive health advocate,he was known for his campaigns and education drawing attention to the food and nutrition problems of Africa,particularly of women and children. He served as the Chief Physician for Nutrition and the Director of Medical Services at the Ghana Health Service and Professor of Community Health at the University of Ghana,Legon. He was also a nutrition advisor to the Food and Agriculture Organisation,Africa Region as well as the coordinator for the World Hunger Programme of the United Nations University and a Senior Population Advisor to the World Bank. He was the President and Honorary Secretary of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. In professional circles,he was known as the “Godfather or Father of Family Planning”and sometimes as the “Grandfather of Maternal Health”.
Joy Elizabeth Lawn is a British paediatrician and professor of maternal,reproductive and child health. She is Director of the London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine Maternal,Adolescent,Reproductive &Child Health (MARCH) Centre. She developed the epidemiological evidence for the worldwide policy and programming that looks to reduce neonatal deaths and stillbirths and works on large-scale implementation research.
Dr. Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho is a Tanzanian paediatrician and public health leader who until December 31,2015,served as World Health Organization (WHO) Assistant Director General for HIV/AIDS,Tuberculosis,Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases based in Geneva,Switzerland. From 2016 to 2019,she served as board chair of RBM Partnership To End Malaria. Before joining WHO in 1999,Mpanju-Shumbusho was Director General of The East,Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA-HC) formerly known as the Commonwealth Regional Health Community for East,Central and Southern Africa (CRHC-ECSA).
Catherine Kyobutungi is an Ugandan epidemiologist who currently serves as the Executive Director of the African Population and Health Research Center and a Joep Lange Chair. She was elected to the African Academy of Sciences in 2018.
Diene Keita is a former Minister for Cooperation and Africa Integration for Guinea. In June 2020,she was appointed deputy executive director for programmes,United Nations Population Fund,by Secretary-General of the United Nations,António Guterres. She has held leadership roles in United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),serving in several countries which includes;United States of America,Niger,Burkina Faso,Burundi,Haiti,Senegal,Ethiopia,Mauritania,Benin,Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria.
Julia Bunting is a British demographer who is the ninth president of the Population Council,since March 2015. She currently works to build a body of research on how best to support young girls.
