Ephrem Lemango is the Associate Director & Chief of Immunization at UNICEF New York. He oversees UNICEF’s immunization and vaccines related work spanning across seven regions and over 130 countries. He previously worked as the Regional Immunization and Primary Health Care focal point at WHO’s Regional Office for Africa where he led interventions to strengthen immunization systems and provided strategic leadership on the development of the vision for the Regional Immunization Agenda 2030. Ephrem previously served as the Director of Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition in Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, the Executive Director for the International Institute for Primary Health Care in Ethiopia, and as Ethiopia’s first Commissioner of the Jobs Creation Commission. He has also worked as an Assistant Professor of Health Management and Policy in Mekelle University, Ethiopia and as National and Continental Advocate for Youth Reproductive Health and Empowerment.
Folake Olayinka is a global health consultant with expertise in vaccines, immunization, MCH/primary health care integration, and infectious diseases. She has a globally recognized track record in policy and strategy development, investment advisement, global and country political leadership engagement, governance strengthening, cross sector collaboration, and implementation technical assistance. She has led seminal work in the areas of equity focused immunization programming in varied settings, integration of immunization and PHC as part of a life course approach, urban immunization, fragile and conflict programming, integrating gender in immunization programs, integrating digital tools in immunization programs, expanding immunization access through the private sector; and working with local organizations. Dr. Olayinka served as the Immunization Team Lead/Technical Lead at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Prior to this, she worked with several international organizations in senior leadership roles including JSI and Malaria Consortium. Dr. Olayinka has served on SAGE (2020-2024), the African RITAG, WHO’s Immunization Practice Advisory Committee (IPAC), as chair of the IA2030 Strategic Area 1 and foundational chair of Strategic Priority Area 2.
Dr. Olayinka is a Medical Doctor and holds an MPH with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health.
Greg Widmyer is the Director of the Immunization Program Strategy Team at The Gates Foundation. The team works with countries, multilateral organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations to ensure the delivery of vaccines and sustained global commitment to immunization. Greg also serves as the foundation’s representative on the board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Since joining the foundation in 2010, Greg has served in multiple roles. As senior advisor he, oversaw the team’s work on human papillomavirus and cervical cancer prevention. Earlier, he led teams that focused on the introduction of products and system innovations to reduce maternal and childhood mortality; delivery of therapeutics, diagnostics, and oxygen as part of the foundation’s COVID-19 response; strengthening primary health care systems; and improving vaccine introductions, market shaping, supply chains, and financing.
Before joining the foundation, Greg served as vice president and general manager of Monogram Biosciences, where he led the commercial and operational aspects of the company. He established their European operations and led their largest pharmaceutical partnership as well as the first global launch of a diagnostic-therapeutic combination. He has held a variety of other positions within the biotech and e-learning industries, including as head of marketing, finance, and business development at various companies.
Early in his career, Greg worked for Population Services International as country director for programs in Cameroon, Rwanda, and Myanmar, focusing on social marketing in the areas of HIV, maternal and child health, and nutrition. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo.
Hadiza Shehu Galadanci is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and Director of a World Bank supported Africa Center of Excellence for Population Health and Policy. She has published over 120 articles and has won multiple awards for her work in maternal health including FIGO Women Award 2018 and 2023 Heroine of Health Award. She has served on AlignMNH, has trained and mentored over 2000 students, established a successful research network and delivered over 20 studies with WHO, Mac Arthur Foundation, FIGO, MRC, and The Gates Foundation. She was the PI of the EMOTIVE Trial in Nigeria. In 2024, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in health by TIME magazine.
Kate O’Brien is Director of the Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department at the World Health Organization where she is responsible for leading the overall work and strategy of the Department to advance the vision of reducing the health, social and economic burden of vaccine preventable diseases.
Prior to joining WHO she was Professor of International Health and Epidemiology and Executive Director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her scientific and policy work focused on vaccine preventable illnesses, among both children and adults; surveillance, epidemiology, and vaccine clinical trials of pneumococcal disease; rotavirus; Haemophilus influenzae type b; respiratory syncytial virus and influenza vaccines. She has worked extensively with American Indian populations and in Africa and south Asia. She served on the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization for 6 years and on the Gavi Board.
Dr. O’Brien trained as a pediatric infectious disease physician, epidemiologist and vaccinologist. She earned her BSc in chemistry from University of Toronto (Canada), her MD from McGill University (Canada), and her MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (US) before completing her training at the US CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer.
Mickey Chopra is the Global Solutions Lead for Service Delivery in the Health, Nutrition and Population Global Practice of the World Bank. He leads its work around the organization, management and quality of health services.
Previous to this he was the Chief of Health and Associate Director of Programs at UNICEF’s New York Headquarters. Additionally, he has chaired the Evaluation and Research Group at the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria to ensure that their investments are reaching those most in need and chaired the Special Committee for Large Countries for GAVI that worked on ensuring increased coverage of vaccines for Nigeria and India in particular. He led the technical team that oversaw the UN Commission on Essential Medicines and Commodities.
Dr. Chopra is qualified as a medical doctor with an additional degree in medical sociology from the University of Southampton, England, MPH (Primary Health in Developing Countries) at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a PhD from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Uppsala in Sweden.
Mira Johri is a Professor in the Department of Health Management, Evaluation and Policy at the School of Public Health, University of Montreal. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing the structural exclusions that leave some children beyond the reach of health systems. By generating evidence and forging alliances, Dr. Johri’s work aims to make children who are excluded from essential services—such as vaccination—visible, uphold their dignity, and promote inclusive health systems that work for all.
Mira has served as a consultant to prominent global organisations, including the World Health Organization, CEPI, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Additionally, she co-founded and advises the Raah Health and Social Development Foundation, which champions community-led innovation in rural India. Her research, published in leading scientific journals, informs global policy on vaccine equity and has received national and international recognition.
Ouseph Tharakan is Co-Director of the Humanitarian Directorate and the South Asia Directorate at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). HD’s Humanitarian Mediation team operates in hard-to-reach areas across the globe, where humanitarian and diplomatic channels are most constrained. HD draws on its political credibility, long-standing relationships, and ability to engage across divides to create space for humanitarian and health actions, particularly in areas beyond the reach of formal institutions.
Ouseph has worked in support of peace processes across South and Southeast Asia, and since 2015 led humanitarian initiatives focused on broadening vaccination coverage in hard-to-reach areas of East and West Africa.
Prior to joining HD, Ouseph worked in the field of trade negotiations and institutional reform with the South Centre and the International Trade Centre (UNCTAD/WTO).
Ouseph holds a BA in History from St Stephens College, Delhi University, India and an MA in International Relations from the University of Essex, UK.
Thabani Maphosa is Gavi’s Managing Director of Country Programmes, overseeing Gavi’s operations in 73 countries. The Country Programmes Department’s raison d’être is to harness the power of the Alliance for countries to save the maximum number of lives through immunisation. This is achieved through maximising financial investments (donor and domestic), bringing the best partners to the table and driving innovative solutions. The Country Programmes Department manages Gavi’s relationships with governments and provides grant management oversight for all in-country resources.
Prior to joining Gavi, Thabani held several leadership roles in World Vision International for over 16 years. Thabani is a seasoned humanitarian who has led disaster preparedness and response efforts globally. He is also recognised for introducing the use of technology in the last mile and for scaling up cash transfers in stable and fragile contexts. With a Master of Philosophy degree in Science, Thabani has worked in academia as a lecturer in physiology and microbiology.
Zulfiqar Bhutta is the Founding Director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at the Aga Khan University; the Inaugural Robert Harding Chair in Global Child Health, Co-Director, and Director of Research at the Centre for Global Child Health at The Hospital for Sick Children; Chairman of The Coalition of Centres in Global Child Health and President of the International Pediatrics Association. Dr. Bhutta also holds adjunct professorships at several leading Universities including the Schools of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, Tufts University, the University of Alberta and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Dr. Bhutta was educated at the University of Peshawar (MBBS) and obtained his PhD from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh and London), the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (London), American Academy of Pediatrics and the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. He has been associated with the Aga Khan University since 1986 and heads a large research team working on issues of maternal, newborn and child survival and nutrition regionally and globally.
