Dr. Namwinga Chintu to spearhead WomenLift Health’s expansion into Africa
Nairobi, April 28, 2021 – WomenLift Health, an organization dedicated to expanding the power and influence of diverse, talented women in global health, announced today the appointment of Dr. Namwinga Chintu as Africa Partnership Director.
Dr. Chintu is a pediatrician with over 15 years of public health experience in HIV, maternal and child health. As Africa Partnership Director, she will lead WomenLift’s expansion into Africa, with plans to establish a regional hub in East Africa in 2021 and launch a fully funded, year-long training and mentorship program for mid-career African women leaders in health. She will also help build a network of partners and leaders across the continent committed to women’s leadership and gender equality in health.
“We are at a critical moment in the push for gender equality in health leadership on the continent,” said Dr. Chintu. “We can dramatically improve Africa’s health outcomes if we prioritize women and girls – and their ability to lead.”
Dr. Chintu received her medical degree from the University of Zambia and later specialized in Pediatrics and Child Health. Prior to joining WomenLift Health, she worked with the Society for AIDS in Africa as an Executive Board Member and served as Vice President of Zambia Pediatrics Association, as well as an Independent Consultant for UNICEF Zambia and Global Health Corps. Until June 2019, Dr. Chintu was the Executive Director of Population Services International’s Zambian affiliate – Society for Family Health. She also served as the Deputy Director at the Centre for Infectious Disease Research (Zambia), where she was responsible for strategic leadership in research and health care delivery.
“Dr. Chintu brings tremendous health leadership experience to our team and we are thrilled to welcome her on board,” said Amie Batson, Executive Director of WomenLift Health. “We look forward to working with her to build a movement of partners and institutions committed to amplifying the voice and influence of African women leaders in health.”
Women represent 70% of the global health workforce but only one quarter of global health leadership positions, with longstanding impacts on health research, policies, financing, and programming. WomenLift Health’s work aims to address these leadership imbalances through interventions that advance more women into decision-making positions and improve health outcomes for all.
About WomenLift Health
WomenLift Health is dedicated to expanding the power and influence of women in global health and catalyzing systemic change to achieve gender equality in leadership, resulting in better health outcomes for all. Incubated at Stanford Global Health and with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WomenLift Health advances equality in health leadership through a range of actions at the individual, institutional, and societal levels. Over the course of the next decade, it will expand to serve women in 25 countries – employing a country-owned and country-led model where the strategy and interventions are led, designed, and executed by and with local partners.
