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Private Sector Engagement in Delivering Quality Health Care

Dr. Elom Hillary Otchi {PhD, MPH, MA (Org. Devt), FISQua} is an accomplished Organization Development, Healthcare Quality, Patient Safety & Health Systems Consultant having worked with UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, Last Mile Health and GIZ supporting countries such as Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia & Ghana to develop and implement national quality policies and strategies, facilitating the establishment of quality governance systems across all levels of the health sector and building capacity of national and sub-national quality leads/teams to institutionalize the culture and practice of quality and patient safety. He has also worked extensively across all the levels of care in the health sector of Ghana. He mentors many budding quality and patient safety professionals across the continent. 
Elom was a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 304 (TC-304) Healthcare Organization Management that developed ISO 7101:2023 Healthcare Management Quality System Standards. He is presently a member of ARSO TC 74 Healthcare Management. He is a Fellow and an Expert of the International Society of Quality in Healthcare (ISQua); a Lucian Leape Fellow for Patient Safety and a Certified Hospital Surveyor (CHS). Elom has a PhD in Public Health with specialization in Quality and Patient Safety from the University of Ghana. 
Elom’s expertise and research interests are in organization development, health systems strengthening, quality and patient safety. He is the Technical Director of AfIHQSA, a member of the Technical Committee of COHSASA and a member of the 9-member Steering Committee of the Africa Community of Practice AfCoP). Elom is an author; a reviewer of quality and patient safety journals and a conference speaker.  

https://search.app/KoSUBtteJq9Rfc9i8 

A Call For Global Health Systems Leadership

Dr. James A. Johnson is a medical social scientist, global health analyst, and professor of health administration/international health at Central Michigan University (Mt. Pleasant, MI) and visiting professor in public health at St. George's University (Georgetown, Grenada). He was previously Chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy at the Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, SC).

Dr. Johnson teaches courses in health organization development, global health, systems thinking, and public health. His publications include over 100 journal articles and 19 books on a wide range of health care and organizational issues. Eighteen of his books are in the permanent collection of the National Library of Medicine. One of his books, Comparative Health Systems: Global Perspectives provides detailed analysis at 21 countries in every region of the world. It is part of the World Health Organization research library. Additionally, he has served as editor of the Journal of Healthcare Management published by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE); editor of the Journal of Management Practice; founding editor of the Carolina Health Services and Policy Review, and is a contributing editor for the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration and the Journal of Human Security and Resilience.

He has served on many national and international advisory boards including the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Diabetes Trust Foundation. Dr. Johnson has worked in over 35 countries and has lectured at Oxford University (England); University of Dublin (Ireland); Beijing University (China); and University of Colima (Mexico). He has often been a guest speaker at the Organization Development World Congress and a regular delegate to the World Health Congress. He is also a member of the Global Health Council and serves on the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Dr. Johnson has frequently collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Switzerland and ProWorld Service Corps in Belize on service learning and research projects.

Dr. Johnson is available for speaking engagements, lectures, applied research projects, policy analysis, and organization development consultation.

Specialties:
International Health Development;
Organizational Development;
Health Systems Development;
Systems Thinking for Health Improvement

From Ebola to COVID-19: Strengthening Africa’s Capacity to Address Emerging Global Health Threats (GET 2024 Conference)

Bobadoye Ayodotun B.Sc. Animal Science (University of Ibadan, Nigeria), M. Sc Animal Science (Federal University of Technology Akure Nigeria), Ex Masters Project Management (Project Management College London) and PhD Climate Change and Adaptation (Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation, University of Nairobi, Kenya). I was a research officer in African Technology and Policy Studies Network Nairobi Kenya (ATPS), a transdisciplinary network of researchers, policymakers, private sector actors, and civil society actors, promoting the use and mastery of Science, Technology and Innovations for African development with coverage in 30 countries (27 in Africa and 3 diaspora chapter in the Australia, USA and UK). I also had Nine (9) years Research and Teaching experience as a Principal Research Officer at the Department of Forest Conservation and protection; and Department of Agricultural Technology, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN).
While at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, i supervised and coordinated many climate change mitigation and adaptation research, and i was involved in many workshop training and capacity building programs especially in the area of climate change and forest conservation and protection within and outside Nigeria.
my PhD dissertation is titled “Vulnerability assessment of Maasai Pastoralists under changing climatic condition and their adaptation strategies in Kajiado County”. My PhD research focused on mapping vulnerability of Maasai pastoralists in Kenya to climate change and developing integrated adaptation strategies with the pastoralist communities.
I have personally supervised over 10 student research projects in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation and i am a member of many professional organizations and has published over 15 journal articles in reputable journals. I am also a fellow of the prestigious Woodrow Wilson International center for scholars in Washington DC, USA

Innovations In Healthcare (AI): A Transformative Tool For Patients and Healthcare Organizations.

Dr. Eappen is an Assistant Professor of Healthcare Management at Cape Breton University and also serves as the Director of Clinical Services and Transition to Community at the Breton Ability Center (LOA). With over a decade of experience in hospital and healthcare management operations, Dr. Eappen has a solid academic background. Prior to joining Cape Breton University, he taught healthcare management at the University of Toronto, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Fanshawe College. Dr. Eappen also worked as a Director of Health Services and Chief Administrator of Healthcare Operations at the American University of Nigeria. Additionally, he has served as a faculty member at the American University and other universities and colleges.

Dr. Eappen holds a doctorate in healthcare administration from Central Michigan University in the United States, a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management, a Bachelor of Nursing, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in International Health. 

Dr. Eappen is a board director on various boards, including the American College of Healthcare Executives, Myeloma Canada, and Aplastic Anemia and Myelodysplasia Canada. Dr. Eappen is also a long-serving member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Canadian College of Health Leaders. 

His research interests are focused on healthcare innovations, particularly healthcare informatics, and he has published various articles, book chapters, and books on the subject in recent years.

The Mental Toll: Understanding the Impact of Infectious Disease Outbreaks on Youth Mental Health in Africa

Dr. Frankline S. Wirsiy, a distinguished Global Public Health Professional with over a decade of experience, holds a PhD in Public Health. He currently serves as the Community Mobilization Coordinator for the second CAMPHIA Survey in Cameroon, a PEPFAR/US CDC-funded project primarily implemented by the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Board (CBCHB).

His leadership in community mobilization, global health security, disease control, and prevention reflects his dedication to driving global health progress. Dr. Wirsiy, a member of the inaugural Youth Advisory Team for Health (YAT4H) at Africa CDC remains focused on advocacy and community-driven approaches to improve global health outcomes.

Food Safety and Public Health Concerns of Unhygienic Abattoirs

Dr Samuel Nsikan Akpan is a veterinary epidemiologist and infectious disease ecologist. His expertise spans genomic and field epidemiology, teaching, and research.

Over the past decade, his work has been focused on solving global health challenges that arise at the human-animal-environment interface (food safety, zoonoses, & AMR).

He has received multiple scholarly awards, fellowships and grants, such as the USAID/AfWA research grant (2017), LBS/ACT Foundation scholarship (2021), the GIZ Alliance doctoral fellowship (2022), ERRAZE research support (2023), the DEAL Fellowship of the West Africa Institute of Public Health (2024), amongst others.

He is currently a doctoral research fellow at the African Center of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID), Nigeria, and a PhD candidate at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the Netherlands.

Youth Mental Health in Post COVID-19 Times

Dr. Cameka Hazel Jackson is a university professor and clinical mental health therapist. She specializes in particularly in children and adolescents mental health care. As a university professor she also trains graduate students on the career path of becoming a school counselor or mental health clinician.  Dr. Hazel has also been involved in research in trauma informed interventions for children and adolescents and refugee children and families.

Barriers to Mental Health Care in Africa

Dr. Olukemi Olugbade is a multi-skilled Physician, Public health specialist, and Healthcare industry expert with over 15 years post-qualification experience as a Medical Doctor and 5 years post-training as a Field Epidemiologist and Researcher. 

Her professional background is focused on SDGs 3,5,6, and 9, General Medicine, Public Health, Community Health and Epidemiology with expertise in Public Health Data Analysis, Project Management, integrated diseases surveillance and response (IDSR) for outbreak detection and response, health advocacy and community engagement, maternal, child and adolescent health, reproductive health, occupational health, environmental health, public health nutrition, mental health, infection prevention, and control, antimicrobial stewardship, monitoring & evaluation, scientific communication, research proposals, and grants proposal writing. 

More recently she has developed health technology, digital communications, digital marketing, medical content-writing, and copy-writing skills applied to health-oriented freelancing engagements.

She has vast experience practicing in the Nigerian Healthcare space, working in resource-limited settings, focused on underserved and vulnerable populations in hard-to-reach, urban slums and rural areas.

Over the years, she has provided live-saving affordable care, essential medicines, and vaccinations in these areas, and reduced mortality, morbidity and disability in these populations, whilst also working with stakeholders at all levels of the Nigerian healthcare system including the private sector, in-country, and international development partners to improve accessibility, affordability, availability, and quality of care, thereby contributing to health systems strengthening.

She continuously contributes leadership, interpersonal and technical skills in her work and contracts, and these she has done in several positions. Professional certifications, and achievements she has garnered demonstrate attributes that make her an outstanding public health professional. 

Dr. Olugbade has won several scholarly awards, presented her research findings in several local, regional and international conferences, won research grants, has granted several interviews, spoken at healthcare events, webinars, and seminars and has published in peer-reviewed journals.

She also mentors medical students, early-career epidemiologists and health professionals.