June 30, 2020, 16:00–17:00 hours CAT

BLN Virtual Panel Discussion: Immunization Service Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Lessons and Post-Pandemic Recovery Strategies

The BID Learning Network (BLN) is hosting a series of virtual panel discussions about immunization service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. We invite you to join a discussion about lessons and post-pandemic recovery strategies. This is the first in a series of three virtual panel discussions.

PRESENTERS

Josephine Nabulekenya 

Professor Josephine Nabukenya is an associate professor of information systems, and Chair of the Health informatics Research Group, School of Computing and Informatics Technology, Makerere University, Uganda. She is a member of the Uganda eHealth Technical Working Group and the Digital Health and Interoperability Working Group of the Health Data Collaborative. Professor Nabukenya was part of the ten member core team that developed the Uganda National eHealth Policy and Strategy and is currently supporting the Ministry of Health for its implementation. She is spearheading the development of the eHealth Enterprise Architecture and Interoperability Framework for HIE in Uganda, and the automation of the National Registries for Clients (NCR), Health Workers (NHWR) and Health Facilities (NHFR) for Uganda. Professor Nabukenya spearheaded the development and implementation of the PhD and M.Sc. Health Informatics Programmes at Makerere University. She is a member of several ICT societies, including the Association of Computing Machinery, Enterprise Engineering Research Network, and the Group Decision and Negotiation Network. She is also a peer advisor to the BID Learning Network Data Quality and Use Collaborative.

Dr. Dafrossa Lyimo

Dr. Dafrossa Lyimo is the Programme Manager for the Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) Programme within the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children in Tanzania, a position she has held since 2009. Under her leadership, Tanzania’s national immunization programme has performed well, achieving above 90% for all antigens for the past five years. Dr Lyimo also serves as Secretary for the Inter Agency Coordinating Committee (ICC) and the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Technical Working Group under the sector-wide approach committee. Before assuming her position as IVD Programme Manager, Dr. Lyimo served as the Municipal Medical Officer of Health, Ilala Municipal Council.  Prior to that she served as the Municipal Hospital Director and Coordinator for Care and Treatment for People Living with HIV and AIDS under the Management and Development for Health Programme between 1997 and 2005. She served as a general medical practitioner between 1991 and 1997, following her internship at the Muhimbili Medical Centre between 1990 and 1991.

Dr. Calvin Tonga 

A nurse by profession, Dr. Calvin Tonga Calvin has more than ten years of experience in public health data management where he has held various public health portfolios including vaccination, epidemiological surveillance and health information management at operational, intermediate and national levels of the health pyramid in Cameroon. He was a focal point person in public health activities in the ​​Mouanko region from 2007 to 2011; head of the Pouma district health office from 2011 to 2012, and then became a data manager and surveillance focal point at the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in Littoral region until 2016. Calvin is currently the unit head for planning, monitoring and evaluation of the EPI Central Technical Group at the Ministry of Public Health in Yaoundé, Cameroon where he oversees the collection, analysis, organization, consolidation and dissemination of data. He also provides staff training through workshops, supervision, and monitoring. Calvin holds a masters degree in public health and a PhD from the University of Douala.

Mbye Njie

Mr. Mbye Njie has been working in public health since 2000, where his initial focus was on immunization, disease surveillance, and other public health related activities. He became a divisional vector control officer in 2006. He became a senior malaria control officer in 2011 and worked in that capacity until 2012. He consulted for the STOP programme, and worked in Nigeria from 2013 to 2014. He was assigned to the EPI program in 2015 as the capacity building manager, where he worked to strengthen the program. Mr. Njie is currently the senior surveillance officer of the EPI and holds a higher national diploma in public health and an MSc in public health entomology.