3rd Edition: The Harm Reduction Exchange

Chimwemwe Ngoma

Chimwemwe Ngoma has five years working experience as a Citizen journalist at National Publication Limited and BNL Times. He also has experience in tourism marketing, project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and data capturing. He has a history of winning grants. He has a PhD. Sociology

candidate, MA. Media Studies, and an BSc. Agricultural Education. Working as an Assistant THRSP Manager at Knowledge Action Change – London. He also Worked as a Communications and M & E consultant at GIZ – Malawi. He worked as Content Writer Consultant at Solimar International.

Dr. Kgosi Letlape

Kgosi Letlape, an ophthalmologist from South Africa, is a former president of the Health Professions Council and chairman of the Medical and Dental Board of South Africa. He is the current president of the Africa Medical Association and the president of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa.

He is also past chairman of the board of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) and past president of the World Medical Association (WMA), the global representative body for physicians.
He was admitted as a fellow of the College of Surgeons of South Africa in April 1988 and as a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for ophthalmology in May 1988. He has the distinction of being the first black African to qualify as an ophthalmologist in Southfield, South Africa, and the first to become president of the WMA.

He is the former executive director of the Tshepang Trust (2002 to 2013), a not-for-profit organization that pioneered the provision of treatment for HIV and AIDS patients in partnership with state hospitals, an initiative he initiated through the SAMA at the request of the late President Nelson Mandela with a bequest from the Nelson Mandela Foundation and funding from the Presidential Emergency Programme for AIDS Relief through the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
He is a healthcare activist who believes that everyone in South Africa has a right to and deserves to receive equal health care, and that a lot of today’s illnesses can be prevented. To that end, he co-founded the Africa Harm Reduction Alliance, whose aim is to create awareness and educate about the need to reduce harm and promote well-being.

Dr. Oluwatomi Owopetu

Dr Oluwatomi Owopetu is a public health physician and early career researcher working in Non communicable disease epidemiology, tobacco control, hospital quality management and Global health. She worked on Bill and Melinda Gates and Grand Challenges Canada funded grants, co-led risk communication activities for Covid 19 in Oyo state, worked on community level interventions for many years and have publications in peer review journals.
She also teaches medical and grad students, and she has in the last 6 years coached about 4000 adolescent girls through her curriculum designed for girls of African descent.

Dr. Vivianne Manyeki

Dr. Vivian Manyeki MMED MPH MBA-HCM, born and raised in Kenya, Dr. Manyeki completed her medical degree at Kuban State Medical University and had an attachment in Cyprus before joining Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), the largest referral facility in East Africa. She initially worked in the Research and Quality departments in different capacities before moving to the Infectious Disease Unit in April 2020.
She oversaw clinical expertise and patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic and has a passion for research on matters affecting adolescents and young adults. Her interaction with the effects of tobacco and its link to the severity of the COVID cases she interacted with fueled her keen interest in research on the harms of tobacco has published and presented keynote speeches at several conferences on Harm reduction.

Other senior roles have included Medical Superintendent at Kimbimbi Sub-County Hospital, Project Director-Kirinyaga County Health Management Team, Implementing Manager for the CRISSP Funded HIV and TB Innovations, CO-PI /project study lead at KNH/UW programs.

Uche Olatunji

A contractor and project manager from THR NIGERIA – a group of tobacco risk reduction consumers and advocates to raise awareness of nicotine and safer alternative uses through unbiased scientific resources. With several years of experience in customer service management in the banking and telecommunications sectors, he has been able to manage projects and human resources and is passionate about community development. Uche is currently CEO of Campaign for Safer Alternatives.

R. Murat Aydın

R. Murat AYDIN is a leading expert in healthcare reform, with a career spanning from 2003 to the present, marked by notable roles within the Turkish healthcare sector. He served as a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist in the Ministry of Health during the Health Transformation Program and later as a Strategist at the Social Security Institution.
Mr. Aydın played a key role in guiding Turkey’s comprehensive healthcare transformation, with expertise in areas such as family medicine, hospital restructuring, universal health coverage, and healthcare system monitoring and evaluation. He advised the World Bank and the Health Council of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.

He spearheaded impactful initiatives like the Healthy Aging Project of Turkey and several Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention and control projects, such as the promotion of active lifestyles, which influenced over 10 million school-aged students. He collaborated extensively with a broad spectrum of stakeholders and governmental agencies.

Currently, he serves as the president of Advoca Management Company, where he passionately works on projects aiming to refine the healthcare system, prioritizing public health.

Samuel Mukandi

Samuel Mukandi is a harm reduction consumer advocate who has steered a national movement for adult access to safer nicotine alternatives. He is the director of THR DR. Congo, the only harm reduction-focused consumer nonprofit in the country. He is also a board member of Campaign for Safer Alternatives, an umbrella body of over 14 national groups. Mr. Mukandi’s core objective is to agitate for a conducive environment for low-risk nicotine alternatives and ultimately a progression of the Democratic Republic of Congo region towards a smoke-free future.

He is currently undertaking a Master’s degree course in health education at the University of Lubumbashi.

Tim Hughes

A Certified Director of the Institute of Directors of South Africa, Tim Hughes is the Managing Director of ReadDillon (Pty) Ltd. He holds a B.A. (Hons) and M.A. (Cum Laude) in Political Studies from the University of Cape Town and a Master of Studies (Cum Laude) from Cambridge University, an MSc (Cum Laude) from London University and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Global Business at Oxford University’s Said Business School. He was awarded the Madingley Prize at Cambridge University as the top Master’s student in International Relations and received the academic achievement award from London University for his MSc.

Tim established the Parliamentary office of the SA Institute of International Affairs and served as its programme head on SADC Parliament and founded the Governance of Africa’s Resources Programme. He was responsible for providing research, investment advisory and government relations services to SAIIA’s corporate members including BP, Anglo American, AngloGold-Ashanti, De Beers, Alexander Forbes Afrinet, MTN, Hollard, Distell, Woolies and SASOL. During this time Tim was lead researcher on the SADC futures project and was a lead author on the team that drafted futures scenarios for the South African Presidency. He also worked closely with the South African government and the Kimberley Process on a campaign to tackle the scourge of blood/conflict diamonds.

Over the past decade, he has consulted to the cement, steel, alcohol, fast foods, energy drinks, mining and private security sectors and worked for the SAFCEI on the UNFCCC CoP17 held in Durban. Tim has consulted to the tobacco sector for 13 years.
Tim has conducted executive education courses at the Gordon Institute of Business Science on the Global Environment of Business. An author of three books and having edited another 24 more, Tim was the BBCs Nelson Mandela Researcher until Madiba’s passing in December 2013. He has been a current affairs commentator for CNN, AP, SABC, ENCA, CNBC and Bloomberg.

Wamala Twaibu

Mr. Wamala Twaibu is a health and human rights advocate, researcher, and analyst in Uganda, Africa, and around the world. He has a Bachelor of Development Studies and a Master of Refugee and Migration Studies. He has had training in harm reduction programming, human rights, project planning, monitoring, and evaluation. He holds several leadership positions, including the chairperson and founder of the Eastern Africa Harm Reduction Network, Executive Director of the Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN), Committee member of the National Technical Team for Key Populations representing drug users hosted by the Ministry of Health in Uganda, member of the national Medically Assisted Therapy Task Force hosted by the Ministry of Health in Uganda and People Who Use Drugs representative on the African Key Population expert working group hosted by the UNDP African Regional Office

Dr. Michael Kariuki

Dr Michael Kariuki is a Consultant Paediatrician, Public Health specialist and an Epidemiologist with interest in Harm Reduction in Tobacco, Alcohol, Cannabis, Pesticide and Opioids. He a founder member and secretary of Harm Reduction Society in Kenya. He has over 15 years experience in clinical work, public health and leadership. Over the past two years he has conducted extensive work on THR including research on Toxicants of STPs in Kenya and being a host in media and writing of op-eds. He is self-driven desirous to see positive impact and change in society. He is a children’s advocate in safety and health.

Dr. Mercy Korir

Dr. Korir is driven by a strong conviction that social justice, for equity, access and equal rights in health for all, especially for the poor and most vulnerable in society is the cornerstone for any meaningful development and growth.

As a results-driven, goal orientated individual, Dr. Korir holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) and a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies (Development Communication) both from the University of Nairobi. Her 4-years of clinical practice had been intense and extensive in both public and private health sectors in the country, caring for patients from a range of backgrounds.

Dr Korir worked as a medical journalist with The Standard Group based in Nairobi, uniquely blending in her medical background to report on health, highlighting health topics that are of interest to the public and society at large. She was The Group’s Health and Science Editor, working as a multi-media journalist, leading a team of young health reporters in both written and broadcast health stories in the various platforms from TV, Radio, Digital and Print platforms at The Standard Group, one of the leading media houses in Kenya.
Her work as a journalist has opened doors and accolades across board, from earning the Presidential Order of Service Award – Uzalendo Award (2020) for Reporting on the Presidential Order of Service Award – Uzalendo Award (2020) for Reporting on the coronavirus Pandemic in Kenya, a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – Goalkeeper 2018, the International Centre for Journalists 2018 Fellow on Early Childhood Development reporting.
Dr. Korir is registered by the Kenya Medical Practitioners’ and Dentists’ Council (KMPDC) and the Media Council of Kenya (MCK).

Dr. Tendai Mhizha

Dr. Tendai Mhizha brings 25 years of leadership experience and knowledge of pan-African strategy, general management, marketing, branding and market research. As a true explorer of the world, she has degrees – including a PhD in Business Science from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management – from six countries. Dr Mhizha is an author, public speaker and lecturer in Strategy, Brand Engagement and Leadership Coaching.
She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Studies. She is the author of the only sub- Saharan African Living Standard Measure (LSM) tool currently used globally. She has worked for the Edgars Group, Wella and WPP Plc. She has also led a 25-year-old pan-African market research agency, Research Bureau International.

She is the Founder and Chief Inspirer of Integra Africa, which offers unique Tribe programmes (Talent Retention and Return) through internal brand engagement and strategic solutions with Africa at heart. She is a knowledge empowerer teaching at Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Linus Gitahi

Mr. Linus Gitahi is the retired Group Chief Executive Officer of Nation Media Group (NMG), the biggest media firm in East and Central Africa. He served in the position from 2006 and 2015. Currently, he is a special advisor to the NMG Group. NMG publishes the Daily Nation, the regions most respected newspaper and several leading television and FM stations.

Mr. Gitahi is Chairman of the Federation of Kenya Employers, Chairman of Sol Plaajte Institute of Media at Rhodes University, Chairman of Afrika Investment Bank, a board member of the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM), International Press Institute (IPI), United States International University (USIU), and Media Council of Kenya.

He is a fellow of the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM) and a holder of the Moran of the Burning Spear from the Government of Kenya. He is a Fellow of the inaugural class of the African Leadership Initiative – East Africa and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. His position as a business leader in some of the most respected companies in East and West Africa has given him a unique perspective in understanding the emerging economic and political landscapes.

Bonney Tunya

Bonney Tunya is a multi-platform communicator and leader, a professional storyteller privileged to be on the front row of events as they happen on the African continent through his work as a pan-African
journalist. He is the recent co-production Editor at BBC where he looked after editorial partnerships between BBC and local partner stations, leading a team that works on changing the face of news among young audiences.

He has a wealth of experience moderating high-level financial and economic debates like the World Economic Forum, Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, Forbes Person of the Year, AfrExim bank AGM as well as presenting real-time African financial news, providing actionable market information, insightful and solution- seeking interviews and well-researched features across the African continent.

Bonney is a masterful Moderator and MC having hosted hundreds of events in stages across the globe over a decade and a half, leading conversations on policy, technology, trade, education, politics and art.
Bonney was at CNBC-Africa where he served as the lead pan-African news anchor. He has also worked at the Kenya Television Network (KTN) hosting two daily television news shows.

He has been a contributor to the Forbes Africa magazine. He studied Journalism at the United States International University (USIU) Kenya and is an alumnus of the Reuters News Foundation, The Global Short Film Project and the African Media Initiative.