.

.

.

.

Professor Christian Lengeler is Unit Head at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Basel in Switzerland. For the past 30 years, his research efforts have centered on the epidemiology and control of tropical diseases, with a strong focus on malaria.

He has been involved in the development of insecticide treated nets (ITN) as a malaria control tool and was responsible for pioneering many developments in large-scale vector control in sub-Saharan Africa. Since 1999, he has been involved in the establishment and implementation of the national ITN program in Tanzania.

Professor Lengeler’s group is currently working to understand and improve access to malaria treatment in malaria-endemic countries, including improving the quality of health care, studying the introduction of improved diagnostic strategies, and understanding the nature and relevance of non-malarial fever illnesses.

His group is also implementing a large-scale study to improve the management of severely ill children in high burden countries. His primary research interest relates to operational research and the process of generating, packaging, and disseminating evidence on health interventions for communicable diseases. Since 2009, his group has worked intensively in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, supporting the National Malaria Control Programme in the area of surveillance and operational research.#

Dr Abraham Mnzava is currently the Senior Malaria Coordinator at the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA). Until the end of July 2016, Dr Mnzava was the Coordinator, Entomology and Vector Control unit within the WHO Global Malaria Programme. He has 36 years of experience in malaria control. Twenty years of these were spent in a number of malaria endemic countries in Africa (Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa) before joining the WHO in 2001.

Dr Mnzava worked in two of the six Regional Offices of WHO (AFRO and EMRO) before his final assignment at WHO headquarters. In his final assignment in WHO, Dr Mnzava was responsible for leading and coordinating the policy setting process for malaria vector control. Dr Mnzava understood the challenges that national malaria and other vector-borne disease control programmes faced and was committed to responding to these challenges based on the available evidence.

Dr Mnzava has conducted research initially focusing on the biology, behaviour and ecology of the African malaria vectors and later on the impact of the key malaria vector control interventions – including treated nets and indoor residual spraying. He has published extensively (over 120 scientific articles) in malaria as well as on other vector-borne diseases such as dengue, leishmaniasis, lymphatic filariasis and chikungunya.

He holds a Bachelor and a Master of Science Degree in Biology from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, a Master of Science in Medical Entomology and Parasitology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK and a PhD from the University of Basel, Switzerland. He is passionate on building capacity in entomology and vector control and believes that unless addressed, this gap is a ticking bomb! Dr Mnzava believes in his continued engagement with national and inetrnational partners to address this gap, especially in Africa where the need is huge#

Victoria Tunu Chale is director and managing consultant of People Dynamics Ltd. Prior to becoming a consultant, Victoria was director of human resources for CRDB Bank PLC, one of Tanzania's largest commercial banks. Victoria joined CRDB Bank in June 2000 from Citibank Tanzania Limited where she was head of human resources. While at the regional office in Johannesburg in 1999, she successfully coordinated the first edition of the Employee Satisfaction Survey.

Prior to relocating to Tanzania in late 1997, Victoria studied and worked in the USA for ten years. Victoria currently serves on the executive board of the British Council Management Forum of Tanzania; the advisory board of Music Mayday Tanzania, an international non-profit involved in the development of creative arts skills; and the board of AIESEC University of Dar es Salaam Local Chapter, the global youth platform that seeks to assist young people to discover and develop their potential in society; and is also the coordinator and secretary for the Human Resources Society of Tanzania.

Victoria earned an MA from Drew University, New Jersey (USA) and a BA from Marymount College, Tarrytown (USA). Victoria is finalizing a postgraduate diploma in law, mediation, and arbitration, Institute of Social Work, Dar es Salaam. She is a Fellow of the second class of the Africa Leadership Initiative-East Africa and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.#

Dr. Amos Muhunda Nungu is the Director General of the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH). Dr. Nungu has held various managerial and professional responsibilities including: The Assistant Director – Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation at Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; and Head of India – Tanzania Centre of Excellence in ICT at Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology. He has initiated, managed and participated in many projects, including those under the European Union (FP7 & H2020), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).

He has also saved as a Board member at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), and Mbeya University of Science and Technology (MUST). Dr. Nungu holds a PhD and MSc. degrees in Information Technology (Communication Systems) from the Royal Institutes of Technology (KTH) – Sweden; and a BSc. in Computer Science from University of Dar es Salaam.#

Dr. Paul Erasto Kazyoba is currently working as Chief Research Scientist at National Institute for Medical Research. He has completed his Ph.D. in Phytomedicine from University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa. Previously he was appointed as Research Fellow at Institute of Traditional Medicine, Member of MUHAS Institutional Review Board, Senate committee for Research and Publications at MUHAS, Head, Department of Natural Products Development and Formulations, Institute of Traditional Medicine (ITM), MUHAS, and Secretary, Gender Program Unit, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences.

He is professional member of SSI-TDR alumni, Tanzania Chemical Society, DAAD Alumni, and NAPRECA-Tanzania. He has published 27 research articles in journals contributed as author/co-author. From last 3 years he has completed 3 funded research projects. He also participated in international workshops.#

Dr. Honorati Masanja is the IHI sitting Chief Executive Director. His professional background is statistics and epidemiology. He holds a PhD in Epidemiology and has extensive experience in data management, clinical trials, design, and evaluation of large maternal and child health programs.

Dr. Masanja joined the Institute in 1992. He obtained his PhD in Epidemiology from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, University of Basel in 2006. Over the last 25 years, he has led the successful acquisition and implementation of national and regional projects whose direct impact on strengthening Tanzania’s health system is still seen today.

Having participated in the establishment of the Rufiji Health and Demographic Surveillance System (RHDSS), Dr. Masanja became the Principal Investigator for the SAVVY project from 2009-2014, a step in Tanzania’s shift towards evidence-based planning and enabling health-sector evaluation.

Dr. Masanja’s scientific engagement spans across borders. Having published extensively in international journals and books, he is also an editorial reviewer for the MRC Joint Health Systems Research Initiative, and member of Tanzania’s National eHealth Steering Committee and the Steering Committee for Monitoring and Evaluation.

His experience in training Post-Doctoral, Doctoral and Masters students in Tanzania led to his 2013 appointment as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Life Sciences of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology.

Charles Mgone is a paediatrician by training and holds a PhD degree in Medical and Molecular Genetics. He has worked in Africa, Europe and the Pacific where he has served as advisor at national and international levels.

He has considerable experience in research, research administration, capacity development and training, particularly in sexually transmitted infections, HIV, malaria and other tropical diseases.

Professor Mgone was formerly the Executive Director of the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). Prior to that he was the Head of EDCTP’s Africa Office working closely with the African research community, programme managers and policy-makers in inspiring African commitment and co-ownership of health research programmes.

Currently, Professor Mgone is the Vice Chancellor of Hubert Kariuki Memorial University in Dar es salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.

His special interest is in the development of sustainable capacity and appropriate environment for research and development of tools against diseases of poverty.#