Experience

Medicines Patent Pool

• Switzerland
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Community Advisory Panel Member

  • Dec 2022 - Present

  As a member of the newly established Community Advisory Panel (CAP), I work closely Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and the Expert Advisory Group to facilitate affordable access to medicines and other health technologies in low and middle-income countries. As an active member of the CAP I provide advice and guidance, specifically from a community and end-user perspective, to the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and its Expert Advisory Group (EAG) to inform licence negotiations. My areas of expertise within the CAP center on TB, HIV, and PrEP, allowing me to provide valuable insights and recommendations in these domains. I contribute by offering ad-hoc advice and guidance on specific medical technologies, ensuring that the perspectives and needs of the affected communities are well-represented. Additionally, I actively participate in the annual prioritization work of the MPP, ensuring alignment with key disease areas and strategic objectives. Show less



Cooper/Smith

• United States
• Advertising Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• HIV Technical Advisor

  • Apr 2023 - Present

  As the HIV Technical Advisor at Cooper/Smith, I contribute to the organization's HIV/AIDS programs in Malawi by building and maintaining institutional knowledge of current epidemiological, public health, and social science literature. This knowledge allows me to recommend appropriate approaches and best practices for project implementation.Specifically I;- Provide valuable insights and expertise to enhance project outcomes and impact.- Play a role in the development of Cooper/Smith's strategic approach to scaling up HIV/AIDS programs in Malawi.- Ensure alignment of programs with the country's specific needs and relevant policies.- Support the design, drafting, and editing of comprehensive and well-informed proposals.- Gather inputs from stakeholders to inform proposal development.- Lead and coordinate efforts to engage key stakeholders at the country, health facility, and community levels.- Facilitate regular and ad-hoc check-in meetings with the Government of Malawi's Department of HIV/AIDS.- Promote linkages with health systems and establish strategic working relationships with partner organizations.- Engage in technical working groups, conferences, and networking sessions related to HIV/AIDS.- Represent Cooper/Smith at conferences through presentations, panel discussions, and poster presentations.- Contribute to writing, reviewing, and editing publications, blog posts, or articles related to HIV projects.- Maintain a global perspective while focusing on HIV projects in Malawi. Show less

• Program Manager, Kuunika Project

  • Aug 2022 - Mar 2023

  Kuunika project aims at reducing HIV incidence in Malawi by supporting innovations in data analytics and digital health. As the program manager my role involved;- Coordinating and overseeing a team of technical staff.- Ensure project deliverables are achieved within designated timelines.- Monitor the budget and ensure alignment with actual expenses.- Facilitate stakeholder engagement to drive development and adoption of technical products and digital health initiatives.- Coordinate and foster collaboration with relevant stakeholders.- Actively seek out and engage consultants with the expertise to support project needs.- Manage consultant contributions to ensure optimal project outcomes. Show less



Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise

• Switzerland
• Non-profit Organizations

• Non Industry Member- Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise Industry Partnership ( Voluntary)

  • May 2022 - Present

  The Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise Industry Partnership has a crucial mission of reigniting interest in the search for an HIV vaccine among the biomedical industry, funders, and academics. Its primary goal is to regain the pharmaceutical industry's confidence in HIV vaccine research and development. As member of this partnership, I actively contribute to the development of the partnership's engagement strategy.I play a significant role in generating ideas to keep the HIV vaccine agenda at the forefront of discussions and actions. Together, we strive to inspire renewed commitment and investment in the critical pursuit of an effective HIV vaccine. Show less

• Advisory Group member

  • May 2019 - Present

  In this role I work alongside world-known researchers and funders to provide strategic and scientific advice on HIV vaccine development, representing the views, interests and priorities of major stakeholders in the HIV vaccine field. One key role that the committee has played is organizing webinars and international conference sessions where I have served as a panelist to speak on how we can use the lessons learnt from COVID-19 vaccine development to accelerate HIV Vaccine research and development. I also contributed towards the development of the 2022 to 2027 strategic plan Show less



UNAIDS Technical Support Mechanism

• Consultant RSSH-CSS: Malawi 2023-2025 Global Fund Funding Request Development (GC7)

  • Jan 2023 - Mar 2023

  - Provided technical support during the development of the 2023-2025 Global Fund Funding request for Malawi. - Actively participated in the country dialogue process and documented the community aspect for the Funding Request (FR) write-up. - Engaged with community and civil society representatives to gather input for the FR. - Assisted in the development, compilation, and analysis of community components for the FR. - Tracked the progress of the community aspect throughout the FR development process. - Provided overall technical support to civil society and relevant partners during FR preparation. - Conducted a desk review of relevant documents and Global Fund guidelines. - Collaborated closely with Principal Recipients (PRs), National Programs, the Core Writing Team, and key technical agencies and partners. - Ensured a participatory approach and engagement of civil society, vulnerable communities, and disease-affected people in developing community interventions. - Involved community members in discussions, sought their input, and incorporated their perspectives into the FR. - Worked alongside other consultants to ensure completion of all application materials in accordance with Global Fund Modular frameworks and guidelines. - Reviewed and refined the content of the FR to meet required standards and align with objectives and guidelines. Show less


International Partnership for Microbicides
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Board Member

  • May 2016 - Dec 2022


O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law

• United States
• Higher Education
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Community Led Monitoring Consultant

  • Feb 2021 - Sep 2022

  - Provided technical assistance to civil society organizations implementing the Community Led Monitoring (CLM) project in Malawi. - Organized weekly planning meetings to ensure effective implementation of CLM. - Conducted thorough reviews of data collection activities and ensured overall data quality. - Participated in coordinating civil society input to PEPFAR's country operation plan. - Analyzed monitoring data, drafted reports, and developed materials for important meetings and retreats. - Provided technical assistance during Accountability Meetings, supporting Malawi representatives in their advocacy efforts for PEPFAR. - Acted as a liaison between the O'Neill Institute and the Malawi CLM project. - Facilitated smooth communication and coordination between the two entities. - Captured and shared findings of the CLM project in Malawi. - Analyzed data quarterly and developed comprehensive reports for stakeholders at various levels. Show less


International Treatment Preparedness Coalition
• South Africa
• Health, Wellness & Fitness
• 1 - 100 Employee
• CLM Consultant

  • Jun 2022 - Aug 2022


AVAC: Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention

• United States
• Research Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Senior Program Manager

  • Jan 2021 - Aug 2022

  In my leadership role at AVAC, I played a vital role in advancing the organization's advocacy programs, with a primary focus on shifting policies, service delivery models, and investments to ensure a comprehensive HIV response, particularly in primary prevention. I provided technical expertise and content-focused support to drive these advocacy efforts forward.A significant aspect of my role was cultivating and managing relationships with external partners and parties. This involved working closely with AVAC's leadership in a North-South coalition of data-informed advocacy and activism. Drawing on my extensive knowledge of global health, US government policies and funding, and the dynamics between national governments, ministries of finance and health, GFATM, BMGF, and PEPFAR, I led strategic planning and conducted scientific analyses to achieve impactful outcomes at the country and regional levels.I actively contributed to the formulation and execution of AVAC's implementation advocacy priorities across various geographical levels. This encompassed monitoring, cultivating, and managing relationships with key policy and advocacy groups and coalitions operating in East and Southern Africa, as well as at AVAC's headquarters in Washington DC and Geneva.A significant part of my role involved leading AVAC's implementation advocacy work in Africa, providing technical support and coalition leadership. This encompassed managing campaigns on critical issues such as ensuring access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), designing effective programs for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), integrating HIV with sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and exploring potential dual-pill approaches. I oversaw communication within regional coalitions, coordinated cross-cutting campaigns, and offered technical assistance to ensure the success of our advocacy initiatives. Show less

• Africa Region Advocacy Advisor

  • Apr 2018 - Dec 2020

  I Coordinated the implementation of the COMPASS Africa initiative, a regional policy advocacy project funded by the Gates Foundation. I provided technical and content-focused support to advance AVAC's overall advocacy programs, with a particular focus on shifting policies, service delivery models, and investments for a comprehensive HIV response, primarily in primary prevention including monitoring and analyzing data from various sources, working with COMPASS partners to identify and evaluate strategic campaigns, and serving as a liaison between AVAC and Africa-based partners. the implementation of effective advocacy strategies. I also served as a technical liaison to the Zimbabwe-based COMPASS "hub" for monitoring, evaluation, and learning, ensuring a flow of ideas and information across different geographies, issues, and coalitions. I provided support to AVAC's Africa-based collaborators, contributed to project development and execution, and led planning for cross-cutting work on coalition diversification, with a specific focus on young people, particularly women. I managed over 28 grants with Africa-based COMPASS partners providing strategic guidance to their advocacy campaigns and projects.In the context of Malawi, I helped build the capacity of CSOs to engage with data and use it for advocacy, coordinating CSO engagement with key stakeholders, representing CSOs in national technical working groups, providing support to specific individuals, participating in COMPASS activities, and actively engaging in CSO Advocacy Forum meetings and engagements.I spearheaded civil society organization (CSO) delegations at country, regional, and global levels to engage with key stakeholders, including WHO, PEPFAR Country Coordinators and Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) staff in Washington DC, as well as the Global Fund country mission. These engagements focused on advocating for favorable global health policies and increased funding for HIV/AIDS programs. Show less



CEDEP and MANET+

• Joint Advocacy Project Coordinator

  • Mar 2016 - Mar 2017

  In this role I was responsible for coordinating a Joint advocacy project between Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) and Malawi Network of People Living with HIV (MANET+) with support from Health Gap. The project aims at building the capacity of PLHIV and Key Population groups so that they can meaningfully participate in Global Fund, PEPFAR and other National decision making process. Was responsible for Overall coordination of all project activities In this role I was responsible for coordinating a Joint advocacy project between Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) and Malawi Network of People Living with HIV (MANET+) with support from Health Gap. The project aims at building the capacity of PLHIV and Key Population groups so that they can meaningfully participate in Global Fund, PEPFAR and other National decision making process. Was responsible for Overall coordination of all project activities



Community of Sant Egidio, Dream Program

• National Progam Manager,

  • Feb 2013 - Mar 2016

  The DREAM programme aims to assist local health systems develop a sustainable model over time, ensuring maximum results at a minimum cost. As a program manager I was responsible for coordinating various projects across the organization. Notably i coordinated and supported the implementation of the Community management of acute malnutrition project targeting people living with HIV, supported implementation of the HIV drug resistance study among HIV positive program women, and coordinated implementation of the DREAM project aimed at providing quality treatment and nutrition services to HIV positive individuals across 11 health centres in four districts in Malawi. Show less

• HIV Prevention Advocacy Fellow

  • Mar 2015 - Feb 2016

  During my fellowship, I successfully implemented a national advocacy project in Malawi with the objective of improving access to biomedical HIV prevention for young women and girls. This project had a significant impact, as it resulted in increased awareness of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and microbicides among key stakeholders, including policymakers, funders such as PEPFAR and the Global Fund, civil society organizations, and local communities. In recognition of my expertise and contributions to the field, I was invited to participate in a crucial consultation on the dapivirine intravaginal ring (IVR) in March 2016. This consultation was organized by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Rockville, MD. The primary purpose of the meeting was to determine the next steps for further dapivirine ring research, including the proposed open-label extension study planned by the Microbicide Trials Network (MTN). During the consultation, the discussion revolved around the outcomes of two Phase 3 studies that evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the dapivirine IVR. The first study, ASPIRE/MTN-020, was conducted by the NIH-funded Microbicide Trials Network, while the second study, The Ring Study/IPM-027, was conducted by IPM. I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion during the consultation, where I effectively advocated for the progression of the open-label studies. Drawing on my experience and knowledge gained from implementing the national advocacy project, I presented compelling arguments and demonstrated the importance of these studies in advancing HIV prevention strategies. In the end the panel agreed to support and proceed with the open-label studies. Show less



National Association for People Living with HIV

• Malawi
• Non-profit Organization Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• District Coordinator

  • Nov 2009 - Jan 2013

  As part of my role, I took charge of coordinating and overseeing the implementation of impactful activities aimed at mitigating the impact of HIV for individuals living with the virus in the Lilongwe district. In this capacity, I assumed the responsibility of identifying the specific needs and challenges faced by this population, and subsequently initiated collaborative efforts with relevant stakeholders to address these pressing concerns. To effectively address the diverse needs of individuals living with HIV, I conducted comprehensive assessments to identify the key challenges they faced in accessing necessary support and services. By engaging directly with this community, I gained valuable insights into their unique circumstances, enabling me to develop targeted interventions that catered to their specific requirements. With a firm understanding of the challenges faced by people living with HIV in Lilongwe district, I facilitated productive dialogues and collaboration between various stakeholders involved in HIV prevention, treatment, and support. These stakeholders included government agencies, non-governmental organizations, healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and affected individuals themselves. Through these engagements, I fostered an inclusive and participatory approach that allowed for comprehensive and sustainable solutions to be developed and implemented. Show less