Building Trust for Global Health

• Founder and President of UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health, a global platform of current and former members of parliaments, congresses, and senates, present in more than 90 countries. UNITE is an official partner of the World Health Organization.
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HealthAI – The Global Agency for Responsible AI in Health, a Geneva-based organization striving to enable and improve access to inclusive, impactful and responsible regulation in the areas of Digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with focus on healthcare.
• Global Ambassador of the ‘G20 Health & Development Partnership’ aimed at advising and advocating G20 countries on health policies aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Chair of the Center for Global Health at NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS)
• Founder of CREATING HEALTH – Research and Innovation funding, a sustainable nonprofit which has been set up within the Católica University of Portugal to help capture funding for health innovation and research projects (http://creatinghealth.ics.lisboa.ucp.pt).

José Manuel Barroso is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. He is also Director of the Center for European Studies at the Institute of Political Studies at Universidade Católica, and Chairman of International Advisors at Goldman Sachs International.

He was Prime Minister of Portugal (2002-2004) and President of the European Commission for two terms (2004-2009 and 2009-2014).

He is also President of the General Assembly of the Portuguese Diaspora Council and Chairman of its EurAfrican Forum.

In his long political career, José Manuel Barroso held governmental functions for twelve years (Secretary of State for Internal Administration, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Prime Minister) and also party functions, namely President of the Social Democratic Party, and parliamentary positions (Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Assembly of the Republic).

In the academic field, he holds a master's degree in Law (University of Lisbon) and a master's degree in Economic and Social Sciences - Political Sciences as well as a master's degree in European Studies (University of Geneva).

Wolfgang Kubicki, born on March 3, 1952, in Brunswick, is a prominent German politician and criminal defense lawyer. After earning a diploma in economics and completing a law degree, he became a criminal defense lawyer in 1985. Kubicki's political career began at 19 when he joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP). He has served as the FDP's top candidate in six state elections in Schleswig-Holstein and has been the party's deputy federal chairman since 2013. He returned to the Bundestag in 2017, where he was elected Vice President. Kubicki is known for his rhetorical skills and clear viewpoints.

Huma Abbasi is General Manager, Health and Medical, for Chevron Corporation, working out of the company’s headquarters in San Ramon, California, since June 2011. In this capacity, Dr. Abbasi is Chevron’s Chief Medical Officer. She oversees the design and implementation of programs and services to meet the health and medical needs of the company’s employees, and addresses health and medical services associated with operations.

She began her career at Chevron in a lead role in Occupational Health and has successfully managed Americas, Europe, Eurasia, Middle East and Africa regional medical portfolios, management and development of the H&M Center of Excellence (COE), leading the deployment and implementation of Operational Excellence Management System and working in central advisory and regional positions in the U.S., Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East and Pakistan regions.

She also facilitated the development and implementation of Health, Environment and Safety Programs and developed tools and processes to help regions attain superior performance. She has worked in many countries around the globe on prevention and treatment of infectious diseases with a focus on tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS.

She completed her degree in Medicine from University of Karachi, has a Fellowship in Specialized Pathology & Hematology and Master’s in Public Health from UC Berkeley.

Dr. Jorge Saavedra, a Mexican national, is the Executive Director of the AHF Global Public Health Institute and AHF-Mexico. From 2003 to 2009, he led Mexico's National HIV Program, significantly impacting national policies. Has been national counselor on human rights elected by the Mexican Senate. Dr. Saavedra is an active member of the Panel for a Global Public Health Convention, with several publications on pandemic/public health emergencies related issues. Additionally, his work focuses on HIV policies and emphasizing effective responses to global health challenges. He earned his medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and earned two graduate degrees from Harvard University.

Helen Clark was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1999–2008 and a Member of Parliament for 27 years. She advocated strongly for economic and social justice, sustainability and climate action, and for multilateralism.

Helen served two terms as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and as Chair of the United Nations Development Group from 2009-2017.

Earlier, Helen taught in the Political Studies Department of the University of Auckland, from which she had graduated with BA and MA (Hons) degrees.

Helen advocates for sustainable development, climate action, gender equality and women’s leadership, peace and justice, and action on pressing global health issues. In July 2020, she was appointed by the Director-General of the World Health Organisation as Co-Chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. She chairs the boards of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, and other public good organisations and initiatives.

Gisela Scaglia serves as Vice-Governor of Santa Fe, Argentina and President of the Senate (2023-2027). Previously, she held a role as Member of the National Parliament (2013-2021). She is also the President of the PRO Party in Santa Fe.

From 2017 to 2021, she served as Co-Chair for Latin America of the Global TB Caucus and joined UNITE in 2018, now serving as a Chapter Chair for Latin America & Caribbean on the Global Board. Furthermore she chairs the Steering Committee for the Digital Health Hub within the network.

Sonia Sidhu is the Member of Parliament for Brampton South, and her journey in public service began when she was first elected on October 19, 2015.

Before entering politics, she dedicated nearly two decades to the healthcare field, which fueled her passion for advocating ongoing improvements to the healthcare system. In her role as a Member of Parliament, she has had the privilege of serving on the Standing Committee on Health, where she contributed to shaping policies on Universal Childcare, Dental Care, Mental Health, and the COVID-19 response.

Additionally, as the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, Sonia has worked to empower women and youth by bringing the voices of her city to the committee. One cause that is particularly close to her heart is championing the diabetes community across Canada. As the chair of the All-Party Diabetes Caucus, she has represented Canada internationally, and her Private Members Bill led to the creation of the National Framework for Diabetes, benefiting millions of Canadians.

Mariam brings 25 years of experience in Global Health from Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. From 2012 to 2020, she served as a Member of Parliament, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee, Deputy Minister of Health, and President of the Innovative Financing Secretariat hosted by the French Foreign Ministry.

She is the Global Board Member of the UNITE Parliamentarians’ Network, Advisory Board Chair of Tbilisi Medical Academy, and Secretary General of Medical Women’s International Association.

Her earlier experience includes 12 years of UNICEF and UNAIDS health program management and technical expertise to GAVI, The World Bank, and other international agencies.

Mariam is the Mason Fellow of Harvard Kennedy School.

Andrew Ullmann is serving his second term as a member of the German Bundestag. A physician by training, he is part of the health committee and acts as the health spokesperson for the Free Democratic Party (FDP) parliamentary group. Ullmann chairs the sub-committee on Global Health in the Bundestag and is the regional chair for Western & Central Europe of the global parliamentarians’ Network UNITE.

He has an Infectious Diseases background from Harvard Medical School and trained in hematology and oncology at the University of Mainz. Ullmann is a full professor of Infectious Diseases at the Julius-Maximilian University of Wuerzburg, where he was also elected to the City Council.

Hon. Akua Sena Dansua is a former Member of Parliament and Ambassador of Ghana to several countries including Germany. She has taken part in numerous parliamentary networks, in particular the Commonwealth parliamentary network and the parliamentary network of the World Bank and the IMF. She is also at the origin of the NGO "Advocates for Gender and Development Initiatives", an association that seeks to promote gender equality. She joined UNITE in 2020, and from then on took the lead of the Central and West Africa region of the UNITE network.

Dr. Amar Patnaik was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Odisha, representing the Biju Janata Dal. He was also the party’s national spokesperson and head of the party’s IT wing. He served as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, Public Undertaking, and Subordinate Legislation. Dr. Patnaik has worked with the United Nations and the World Bank for global external audit assignments and has been the Team Leader of India’s External Audit Mission to several countries.

His academic qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in Physics from St. Stephens college at Delhi University, an MBA in Finance and Systems from Xavier’s Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, and Master’s programme in public management from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore and the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

Dr. Ibtissame AZZAOUI is the MENA Region Chapter Chair at UNITE. She is former member of the Moroccan Parliament.

During her mandate, she served as a permanent member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. In 2021, she became a city councilor.

Dr. AZZAOUI holds a PhD degree in Economic Sciences and Management. Her PhD thesis was entitled: «The Moroccan Parliamentary Diplomacy in Africa : A New Approach of Strategic Governance».

In 2024, she won the National Prize for Studies and Research on Parliamentary Work. She is an Engineer in IT Management, graduated from EHTP and École Centrale Paris. She is founder and also member of some important international NGOs and actively involved in several social, academic and cultural projects in Morocco and abroad.

Liliana Tanguy has been a member of the National Assembly of the French Republic since 2017. Re-elected in 2022 and again in July 2024, she is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee to the National Assembly and vice-chair of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She is deeply involved in promoting global health and the right to a healthy environment in the European Union and internationally.

Amira Saber is an Egyptian Member of Parliament serving as the Secretary General of the Foreign Relations Committee. Saber is the VP of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party responsible for planning and development, and a member of Egypt’s Coordination's Committee of Parties' Youth Leaders and Politicians. Concurrently, she served as an appointed member of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Culture.

Amira is the co-presiding officer of the Global young MP initiative and representing the Region of Middle East and North Africa in the Young Parliamentarians steering Committee of the World Bank and she is also a member of Munich Security Conference Women Parliamentarians Program.

Amira is currently pursuing her DBA from Swiss School of Management and a professional Development Certificate of Parliamentary Governance at McGill University. She also holds an MA in Development Studies from the University of Sussex where she was awarded the Chevening scholarship, an MBA from ESLSCA Business School, and a BSc in Biochemistry from Egypt.

Hon. Éctor Jaime Ramírez Barba is a surgeon, certified specialist in general surgery and public health, with a doctorate in health sciences with emphasis in surgery, and a doctorate in public administration. He has been a research professor at several universities in Mexico and a member of the National Researchers System.

He has served as Secretary of Health on two occasions and Secretary of Social Development of the State of Guanajuato. He has been a State and Federal Legislator, and is currently a Federal Deputy, and serves as Secretary of the Health Commission and of the Transparency and Anticorruption Commission, and as a member of the Social Security Commission.

He has been a member of UNITE since 2022. He is also an Elected Candidate as Federal Deputy for the National Action Party for the period 2024-2027.

Hon. Njume Peter Ambang is a member of the National Assembly of Cameroon since 2013. Member and rapporteur of the committee on education, youth affairs and vocational training. Member of the UNITE network for several years.

Founder and coordinator of the parliamentary caucus for the mobilization of domestic finance for the improvement of health in Cameroon.

Vice President of the African parliamentary coalition for the elimination of malaria.

Founder and president of the parliamentary network on the implementation of the sustainable development goals with emphasis on health and education. Member and rapporteur of the sub regional network for the fight against malnutrition.

Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen is a Member of Parliament and medical doctor known for his work in public health and advocacy for social justice.

He currently holds the position of Political Secretary to the Human Resource Minister. Previously, he served as the Special Advisor to the Health Minister and was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Health.

Throughout his political career, Kelvin has been an outspoken advocate for healthcare reform, youth empowerment, and environmental sustainability. He is recognized for his commitment to transparency, good governance, and his efforts to address the concerns of his constituents.

Born in Fez in 1965, Allal Amraoui is a renowned surgeon, accomplished politician, and dedicated public servant.

A member of the Istiqlal party, he has been a member of the municipal council since 2003 and served as the First Deputy Mayor of Fez from 2009 to 2015. Since 2016, he has represented Fez as a Member of Parliament, where he served as Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Moroccan Parliament and was a member of the Moroccan delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, holding the presidency from 2016 to 2021.

He is currently a member of the European Network of Parliamentarians for a Healthy Environment.

I am a human rights lawyer who runs his own legal practice in my hometown known as the Molokele Law Chambers.

I am also a public health advocate who has been also been actively involved in coordinating the pan African civil society networks especially those focusing on HIV and AIDS.

I am creative write who loves writing scripts, short stories and poems. I am also a sports enthusiast who is particularly passionate about football, swimming and tennis.

I am Sophia Moermond, currently serving in the West Australian state government. My background is as a registered nurse, naturopath, and a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. I am passionate about health, in particular preventative healthcare.

Dr. Majda Alfallah is a Libyan senator, serving in the High Council of State since 2016, where she plays key roles, including as the Rapporteur of the Temporary Committee preparing the Council’s bylaws. Previously, she was a parliamentarian in the General National Congress (2012–2015), contributing as Vice President of the Health Committee.

Dr. Alfallah also held leadership positions in the National Center of Disease Control and served as a researcher on public health issues. She holds multiple degrees, including in public health, political sciences,and Islamic studies, and has collaborated with international organizations like the WHO.

David Reddy joined IFPMA as Director General in April 2024, taking up the post after 13 years as Chief Executive of the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV). At the Medicines for Malaria Venture, David played a pivotal role as the organization established the largest portfolio of malaria drugs ever assembled, bringing forward 15 medicines that have saved more than 15 million lives.

David has been a Board Member of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness (CEPI) since 2018 and serves on the Board of Malaria No More UK.

Before joining MMV, David was a Vice President at Roche, where he held corporate responsibility for Roche’s response to the 2009/2010 influenza pandemic. In this role, he led the work to develop, communicate, and implement the company’s strategy for working with governments and the WHO on pandemic preparedness, and establishing a sustainable access program.

David holds a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Auckland, New Zealand and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in molecular neurobiology at the Friedrich-Miescher Institute in Basel, Switzerland.