Kassa Abbe, Director of SRHR Health Systems, CIFF

Olanike Adedeji, Technical Specialist Family Planning, UNFPA

Olanike Adedeji serves as Technical Specialist Family Planning at UNFPA. Driven by a passion for global health equity and a deep commitment to community impact, she brings almost three decades of experience at the intersection of public health, project management, and pharmaceutical logistics/supply chain. Ms. Adedeji has over twenty years’ experience in programme coordination, management and implementation of RH programs including HIV/PMTCT, Reproductive Health, Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health, Maternal Health and Life Saving Commodities. She has provided support to Governments in Sub Saharan Africa and the Pacific on Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. She has over 20 years experience in managing grants and working with donors such as UK/DFID, US/USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), EU, Australia/DFAT and New Zealand/MFAT; including multi-donor thematic trust funds.

With a Master’s in Public Health (specializing in International Development) and an MBA in Management, her journey has taken me from the frontlines of pharmacy practice to leading large-scale health systems strengthening projects across diverse communities. Ms.Adedeji worked hands-on with programs that address HIV/AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), family planning, and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR)—ensuring that essential services and commodities reach those who need them most. She is a certified Program Management Professional (PMP) and has substantial experience and track record in overseeing complex project management.

Dr. Moazzam Ali, Epidemiologist and Medical Officer, Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, WHO

Dr. Moazzam Ali serves as Epidemiologist and Medical Officer with the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization (WHO), based in Geneva, Switzerland. He is a distinguished public health researcher, medical practitioner, policy implementer, and educator with more than two decades of international experience in reproductive health, health systems strengthening, and policy development. Dr. Ali’s career spans the design and evaluation of national health systems, leadership in clinical trials, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at developing a critical mass of researchers and decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries, with a particular focus on policy and systems research.

Dr. Ali previously served as the Regional Manager for Research for the South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions, WHO. As an epidemiologist, he provides global leadership in clinical and implementation research in reproductive health. His work emphasizes strengthening health systems and policies to maximize public value, with a strong focus on health equity, quality, coverage, and the sustainability of health service delivery systems.

A physician by training, Dr. Ali holds dual master’s degrees, a postgraduate diploma, and a PhD in International Health.

Dr. Ali has authored more than 180 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to key WHO guidelines, including the Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use, the Resource Guide on Task Sharing, and research prioritization frameworks. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping policies and expanding equitable access to quality reproductive health services.

Nathalie Kapp, Chief Medical Advisor, IPPF

Nathalie Kapp, MD, MPH, is the Chief Medical Advisor at International Planned Parenthood Federation based in London. She is an Obstetrician Gynecologist and was fellowship trained in Complex Family Planning at Dartmouth Medical Center and Boston University. She has a unique perspective in the field of reproductive health after 7 years as a Medical Officer at the World Health Organization contributing to the guidelines for contraceptive use and abortion care, then conducting research on emergency contraception at HRA Pharma, and most recently, as the Medical Director for Ipas where she was investigating the safe use of medical abortion in over-the-counter-like settings, and decreasing barriers to provision and availability of abortion beyond 13 weeks gestation. She has over 80 peer-reviewed publications of her research.

Monica Kerrigan, Managing Director, North America and Europe, FP2030

Monica Kerrigan serves as the Managing Director for the North America and Europe Region, advancing the rights of people everywhere to access family planning and reproductive health services to ensure bodily autonomy, gender equality, and rights. In her role, she is forging partnerships with governments, the private sector, NGOs, youth associations, research organizations, donors, and philanthropists to advance innovation and scale up evidence-based solutions. Ms. Kerrigan is a pioneering leader, expert, and advocate in family planning, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and market dynamics. She served as Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Global expanding access to reproductive health services in Africa and Latin America. She worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for nine years, launching the London Summit on Family Planning in 2012 and supporting the design and implementation of Family Planning 2020, the Ouagadougou Partnership, and the Implant Access Program. Ms. Kerrigan also served for 10 years at USAID in the Office of Population and Reproductive Health and served at USAID Mission in Indonesia for 4 years working on maternal and newborn health and family planning. She has worked at Jhpiego advancing Innovation and Technical Leadership across more than 30 countries in Africa and Asia. Monica has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina, specializing in maternal and child health. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer and primary health care trainer in rural Mali.

James Kiarie, Unit Head, Contraception and Fertility Care, WHO

Dr. Kiarie qualified as an obstetrician gynaecologist in 1992. Prior to joining WHO in December 2014, he was an Associate Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Nairobi, and a Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist in Kenyatta National Hospital.

Dr. Kiarie has over 20 years experience in teaching, clinical practice and research in the field of reproductive health, focusing on HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and family planning. He has also led programs in health professionals training, mentorship and use of information technologies in research and training.

From 2008, he led the University of Nairobi HIV Fellowship Programme, which was the first programme approved by the university for public health training. He has been the principal investigator for the implementation of a number of multicountry and multisite research collaborations, such as the reproductive health decisions and HIV infection risk study, and for the training of HIV Programme Managers, to support the Kenyan National HIV AIDS response.

In 2014, Dr Kiarie received a merit award from the Kenya obstetrician and Gynaecologists Society in recognition of his services in providing and promoting reproductive health services in Kenya.

Yann Lacayo, Family Planning Advisor – Technical Global Lead

Dr. Yann Lacayo is a medical doctor and health economist with 25 years of senior leadership in Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. In his role as the Family Planning Global Technical Advisor, he led the development of the new UNFPA Family Planning Strategy (2022-2030) and pioneered programmatic tools used in over 80 countries.

A leading expert in sustainable financing, Dr. Lacayo has driven resource mobilization strategies and led the redesign of the financial model for the UNFPA Supplies Partnership. His career, which includes senior advisory roles with The World Bank Group, PATH, and Ipas, has spanned more than 50 countries, shaping policy and programs in both development and humanitarian settings.

John Osborne, Senior Manager

Laura Raney is the Director of the HIPs Secretariat and the Senior Technical Advisor for HIPs at FP2030. She facilitates coordination and communication across the HIPs Partnership encompassing the Co-sponsors, the Technical Advisory Group that provides technical direction and leadership for the evidence-based HIPs products, and Technical Expert Groups formed to develop or update HIPs products. She manages production of HIPs products and the HIPs website. Laura has 25+ years of experience in international reproductive health and family planning and has worked with Jhpiego, FHI 360, the Population Council, the World Bank, and USAID. She received her MSocSc in demography and economics from Waikato University in New Zealand and her MA in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Anand Sinha, Country Advisor, David & Lucile Packard Foundation

Anand Sinha is a regional advisor to the Global Reproductive Health Initiative, contributing to the initiative’s strategy, grant making, evaluation and learning for South Asia. He is based in New Delhi and has over 28 years of experience in public health, primarily related to reproductive, maternal and child health. Before joining the Packard Foundation, he led the Gates Foundation’s primary health care initiative in partnership with the government of Bihar, and prior to that led several USAID supported private sector partnerships for reproductive health, child survival and TB.

Nihal Said, Senior Technical Advisor, Research and Partnerships, IPPF

Nihal Said is a Senior Technical Advisor for research and partnerships at IPPF, where she co-leads research projects on emerging sexual and reproductive health (SRH) priorities with Member Associations. With extensive experience in humanitarian and development program management, Nihal has worked across UN agencies and INGOs at country, regional, and global levels. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics from Cairo University, a Master’s degree in Communication and Development Studies from Ohio University. Nihal’s multidisciplinary and intersectional approach is reflected in her work, which focuses on sexual and reproductive health, decolonising research, communication for development, , community engagement. Her contributions include authoring published articles and research studies on topics. Previously, Nihal served as the Adolescent Girls Investment Plan (AGIP) Programme Manager at Plan International and prior to that was the Youth and HIV Specialist at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Rachel Templeton, Manager, HIPs Secretariat

Melkam Teshome, Program Manager, SRHR Heath Systems, CIFF

Melkam Teshome is a public health professional with 20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing different SRHR programs. She currently serves as program manager for SRHR health systems at CIFF London office since February 2023 where she oversees CIFF’s self-managed SRHR portfolios that focuses on system strengthening and building enabling policy and regulatory environment. Prior to joining CIFF, Melkam worked at MSI Reproductive Choices as global Project Director, Program Director, and Clinical Service Delivery Manager from 2012-2022. She has also served with EngenderHealth Ethiopia to improve access and utilization of comprehensive contraception and comprehensive abortion care through technical assistance to the government. Melkam contributed to the development of MSI-Ethiopia’s private sector strategies and its social business model, worked with regional authorities to increase budget allocations for SRH/FP, and contributed to the development/revision of national guidelines, tool kits and protocols – including Ethiopia’s national FP counselling guidelines, national RH strategy, national FP training manual and task-sharing guidelines for LARCs by community health workers. Melkam holds a BSc in Public Health from University of Dilla, Ethiopia as well as MPH from University of Gondar, Ethiopia.

Nandita Thatte, Technical Office, WHO/IBP Initiative

Nandita Thatte leads the IBP Initiative housed at WHO in Geneva Switzerland. Her current portfolio includes institutionalizing the role of IBP and its network of NGO and CSO partners to support the dissemination and use of evidence based interventions and guidelines, and to strengthen the linkages between IBP field based partners and WHO researchers to inform implementation research agendas. Prior to joining WHO, Nandita was a Technical Advisor in the Office of Population and Reproductive Health at USAID where she designed, managed, and evaluated programs in West Africa, Haiti and Mozambique. Nandita has a MPH from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and a DrPH in Prevention and Community Health from the George Washington University School of Public Health.

Amit Kumar Yadav, Senior Program Officer