November 3, 2024 — The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents welcomes The Honorable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, as the newly appointed co-chair of the GFF Investors Group (IG). Minister Chiponda takes over from Dr. Lia Tadesse, former Minister of Health, Ethiopia, and joins Her Excellency Pascalle Grotenhuis, Vice Minister for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Netherlands, as co-chairs of the Investors Group.

Ahead of her inaugural Investors Group meeting as co-chair, taking place in Abuja this week, Minister Chiponda said: “The GFF investor group brings all critical actors in advancing maternal and adolescent health and opportunities for children, women and youth behind country leadership. This partnership is a testament to the power of global solidarity. I have seen the bold and transformative approach to addressing some of the most pressing health challenges in Malawi. I am honored and excited to join as co-chair and look forward to support the GFF mission globally and making a lasting change for millions of women, children, and adolescents.”

The IG serves as an advisory board to the GFF Trust Fund Committee (TFC) and the GFF Secretariat and plays a key role in fostering alignment at the country level. The IG comprises the broad set of partners that are part of the GFF partnership — including governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, UN agencies, Gavi, the Global Fund and private foundations. The co-chairs help foster effective communication and engagement with stakeholders and ensure alignment of the GFF’s vision by addressing issues and concerns of stakeholders and help facilitate discussions to implement GFF’s priorities.

To further support country-level efforts, the GFF is also delighted to announce that H.E. Dr. Austin H. Demby, Minister of Health for Sierra Leone, will Chair the GFF Ministerial Network, a platform launched in 2021 for a harmonized approach to inform global health agendas.

“We need accelerated action to meet the child survival and maternal mortality SDG by 2030. The ministerial network supported by the GFF has been critical for learning across countries and advancing the alignment agenda for better health outcomes for women, children and adolescents. I am honored to continue building on this momentum to bring country leadership to drive a response backed by global solidarity,” Minister Demby said.

In their roles, Minister Demby and Minister Chiponda will hold non-voting seats on the TFC which governs the GFF Trust Fund. It comprises representatives of the World Bank and donors, including governments and foundations that contribute at a certain threshold to the GFF Trust Fund.

Find out more about the GFF’s governance.

BIOGRAPHIES

Hon. Khumbize Chiponda, MP, Minister of Health, the Republic of Malawi

Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP, is a seasoned politician who is serving as Member of Parliament for Kasungu Southeast Constituency for a second term. She is currently the Minister of Health.  

Born on 10th May 1969, Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP is also a proficient manager who has worked in several reputable organizations like the Ministry of Health as a Biochemist from 1991 to 1993, Malawi Pharmacies Ltd, as Pharmacist Manager 1996 to 2001. She also served as board member of Pharmacy Medicine and Poisons Board 2004 to 2006; Board Member City Pharmacies LTD 2001 to 2020. Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda is also a trained Inspector in the World Health Organization Current Good Manufacturing Practices.   

Hon. Chiponda is also a Board Member of Kamuzu International Academy since 2013, Organizing Secretary for ruling Malawi Congress Party and she is also Ardent Farmer. 

She holds a Bachelor of Science, majors Biology and Chemistry, graduated in 1991 from Chancellor College and bachelor's in pharmacy graduated in 1996 from University of Western Cape, Cape Town in South Africa.

H.E. Dr. Austin Demby, Minister of Health & Sanitation, Sierra Leone

Dr. Austin Demby is currently the Minister of Health for the Government of Sierra Leone. Before assuming his current role, Dr. Demby served as the Acting Director of the Office of Global Health at the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  

Dr. Demby began his public health career in 1980 as a research scientist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He then went on to become country director of the CDC field station in Sierra Leone (1987-1989) where he studied Lassa fever and other viral hemorrhagic fevers. He has held research appointments at several institutions, including Special Pathogens Branch, Virus Reference Laboratory, Central Public Health Laboratory Services, Colindale, United Kingdom, 1990-1993; Division of Pathology, Center for Applied Microbiology and Research, Porton Down, United Kingdom, 1993-1994; Special Pathogens Branch, DVRD, NCID, 1994-1997; and Diagnostic Mycobacteriology, TMB, DASTLR, NCID, 1998-1999.  

Following his work in biological research, Dr. Demby became a founding member of CDC’s Global AIDS Program (GAP). Between 1999 and 2006, he led several teams that established GAP program offices in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Between 2006 and 2011, Dr. Demby served as the Director of the CDC Malawi program, overseeing the HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care activities of CDC, and facilitating other major programs funded through two U.S. health agencies, HRSA and NIH, in Malawi.  

Between 2011 and 2016, Dr. Demby served as the Director and Deputy Principal for the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In that capacity, Dr. Demby managed the Department’s $2 Billion global HIV/AIDS portfolio and its implementation by five of the U.S. government’s health agencies.  

In 2014-2015, Dr. Demby played a key leadership role in the U.S. Government’s response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. He was the first official from the United States Government to conduct a rapid technical assessment of the situation in Sierra Leone and to sound the alarm to the global community. Dr. Demby deployed five times in various capacities to Sierra Leone. 

Dr. Demby holds a doctorate in Clinical Microbiology from the University of London, England, a master’s degree in public health-epidemiology/biostatistics from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.  

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