As a senior program associate at Results for Development (R4D), Tahmina provides technical and operational support to the Linked Immunization Action Network. This learning network brings together immunization practitioners, policymakers and partners from middle-income countries to systematically share their experiences, identify common immunization program challenges and tap into peer implementation knowledge to improve and strengthen the sustainability and equity of country immunization programs.

Before joining R4D, Tahmina worked at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids managing partnerships and grants with civil society organizations in Bangladesh and India to pass tobacco control health policies. She has also worked in South Africa, Lebanon and Bangladesh with local partners to help improve access to health services and vaccinations, especially among refugee and migrant populations. Locally, Tahmina worked in a New York middle school to help students graduate on to high school and spent two years implementing a community resource program at a New York primary care clinic to connect families to essential nutrition, education and maternal care resources. 

Tahmina holds a master’s degree in global health (MPH) from New York University and a BS in public health from American University. She is a native speaker of English and speaks fluent Bangla.

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Ms. Koch is the senior program associate on the Evidence to Policy team. She provides technical and program management support to cross-sectoral initiatives related to policy change including the Partnership for Evidence and Equity in Responsive Social Systems (PEERSS) initiative, a global partnership supporting evidence-informed policymaking in social systems.  

Before joining R4D, Ms. Koch consulted on a mid-term evaluation of a USAID–funded health systems strengthening project in Madagascar, specifically leading the qualitative data collection and analysis to draft key findings and inform program recommendations. Additionally, as a member of CARE’s humanitarian team, she contributed to thought leadership on gender-responsive humanitarian response. She supported the research and publication of policy briefs, including drafting the “Humanitarian Response Reform” chapter in CARE’s Building Forward COVID-19 response report addressing gender inequality in the humanitarian sector. Prior to this role, Ms. Koch served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon where she taught English and implemented girl’s empowerment programs.  

Ms. Koch holds a master’s degree in Development Practice (MDP) with a Gender Justice concentration from Emory University and a BA in Africana Studies from The College of William and Mary. She is a native English speaker and speaks fluent French. 

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Background about the work: The study aimed to understand how to bridge the gap between modeled evidence and policy/program decision-making by:

• Identifying the factors and approaches that facilitate or inhibit exchange between decision-makers and modelers
• Evaluating current practices in forums where translation work is already occurring
• Proposing changes in funding approaches, organizational structures, and country or global policies to enable success
• The four focus countries are: Burkina Faso, India, Kenya and Nigeria
• Learn more here

Speakers include the following experts:

• Maulik Chokshi, ACCESS Health International, India
• Dr. Obinna Onwujekwe, Nouna Health Research Center, Nigeria
• Dr. Jacquie Oliwa, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, Kenya
• Dr. Ali Sie, Health Policy Research Group, Burkina Faso

Photo © Globetek Entertainmentt

The post Translating Modeled Evidence for Decision Making: Results from 4 countries appeared first on Results for Development.

This study, conducted between October 2021 and June 2022, had the following goals:

• Identify the factors and approaches that facilitate or inhibit exchange between decision-makers and modelers
• Evaluate current practices in forums where translation work is already occurring
• Propose changes in funding approaches, organizational structures, and country or global policies to enable success

For more about this work, please click here.

Results

Nigeria
Report
Policy Brief

India
Report
Policy Brief

Kenya
Report

Burkina Faso (forthcoming)

Watch a recording of a webinar from October, 2022 on the work.

The post Translating Modeled Evidence for Decision-Making appeared first on Results for Development.

At Results at Development (R4D), Mr. Mateshi is a program director in Tanzania where he provides overall strategic leadership and technical direction, leads internal and external partner engagements, and manages high-impact projects and country operations for R4D’s market shaping practice. He also contributes to business development for new opportunities in the portfolio.

In his career, Mr. Mateshi has focused in improving availability of health commodities and uptake of health services. He successfully supported the Tanzania Ministry of Health in the introduction and development of various systems including Implanon NXT, an online HR management system, an online dashboard to improve data analytics and visibility for the family planning program, quantification of RMNCAH, HIV and malaria commodities, strategies and guidelines for RMNCAH and cancer programs and supporting market shaping work for family planning, maternal health, and cancer commodities.

Before joining R4D, Mr. Mateshi was a program manager with the Clinton Health Access Initiative and managed the SRH, cancer, and health financing portfolios in Tanzania.

Mr. Mateshi holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and is completing a master’s degree in health economics and policy from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. He is fluent in Swahili and English.

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Before joining R4D, Ms. Mubangizi worked for the University of Cape Town coordinating research on the long-term effects of HIV medication on adolescents born with HIV. In addition, she is the CEO and founder of her own business that distributes fast-moving consumer goods in Dar-es-Salaam. She also served as a public health intern for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees where she supported coordination and monitoring of refugee health services in rural Northwestern Tanzania.

Ms. Mubangizi has a master’s degree in public health focusing on epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of Cape Town, and a BSc in public health with a minor in maternal and child health from the University of South Florida.

The post Lilian Tuhumwire Mubangizi appeared first on Results for Development.

At Results for Development (R4D), Mrs. Ajeigbe work closely with the Innovation practice team to devise and execute strategies and systems that support operational excellence, improve strategic budgeting and resource management, program management and quality control, business development, team-building, and human resources strategy. Some of the projects she works on include the International Development Innovation Alliance (IDIA), FCDO- Frontier Tech Hub, among others.

Some of Mrs. Ajeigbe’s major career achievements include restructuring an organization’s financial processes and procedures that had a major impact on delivery of their objectives. She also formulated and developed financial models and tools for government-funded startup projects.

Before joining R4D, Mrs. Ajeigbe worked with national not-for-profit organizations in the UK managing operational and strategic financial operations. This includes compliance to the UK Charity Commission, Companies House and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). She also worked on the Equality Justice and Alliance (EJA) Programme, funded by UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), where she managed budgets, grants and contracts.

Mrs. Ajeigbe holds a masters degree in development economics and BSc in accounting. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountant (CIMA). She speaks English and Yoruba.

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Ms. McCarter is a senior program associate on the nutrition practice at R4D where she supports nutrition projects across multiple sub-practices, with a focus on nutrition financing.

Before joining R4D, Ms. McCarter worked for the World Health Organization (WHO) European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases’ nutrition team conducting research on sugar reduction policies in the region. Her work served as the background material for member states prior to the formulation of the 2022 European Sugar and Calorie Reduction Network.

She has also served as the Indigenous Peoples’ liaison intern for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations where she worked closely with both the North American Liaison Office in D.C. and the Indigenous Peoples Technical Unit in Rome during the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and Pre-Summit, and as a research analyst for the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) database examining the impact of climate hazards on culture and diet throughout the ethnographic record.

Abbe holds a master’s degree in public health nutrition from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a certificate in food systems, the environment, and public health from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and a BS in anthropology and human biology from Emory University.

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In 2021, the UN Food Systems Summit was called to address this missed opportunity. It sought to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals by leveraging the many connections between food systems and global challenges, such as hunger, climate change, poverty, and inequality. By taking a food systems approach to policymaking, the Summit suggested, governments could harness the power of food systems to benefit people and the planet. But what does it mean to take a food systems approach? How can interested policymakers adopt this approach and apply it to their contexts?

Project Profile: Resources to Support Policymakers to Take a Food Systems Approach to Policymaking

Learn more

Acknowledgments: This resource package was developed by the Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London and Results for Development (R4D), with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The team from City, University of London comprised Corinna Hawkes and Ursula Trübswasser. The resource package was developed through consultations with global and country actors, and the authors are grateful to members of the Advisory Group for providing advice and feedback throughout the process and reviewing drafts.

The post Taking a Food Systems Approach to Policymaking: A Resource for Policymakers appeared first on Results for Development.