In the world’s poorest and most remote communities, people die of easily preventable afflictions. Community health workers are proximate by definition, and able to treat health problems in their communities as they arise. Armed with appropriate technology and education, they can expand service and increase quality of care. Community health workers provide feedback loops that anticipate needs, generate learning, and prevent outbreaks or pandemics. We’ll explore this reinvention of community health care, and hear about the innovations poised to drive real change in global health systems.
Director of Technology and Innovation, Living Goods
Caroline has worked in the technology sector for over 15 years. At Living Goods, Caroline is responsible for strategy development, implementation, scaling and replication of sustainable technologies and innovations that respond to some of the most pressing challenges facing children and women in the developing world. Most recently she worked with one of the largest public health organisation in Africa, where she was responsible for the development and implementation of the organisations eHealth programmes to include eLearning and mHealth across sub-Saharan Africa. She has extensive experience in driving large-scale mHealth deployments in multiple geographies, initiating learning opportunities to better inform ICT4D programs and policies, testing technologies and integration, and developing new business opportunities through public-private partnerships in emerging markets. Caroline has served as a trusted advisor to various African governments in designing and implementing digital solutions for health and education.
Magnus Conteh joined the Last Mile Health team in 2018 to help lead the Community Health Academy, which aims to reinvent the education of community health workers – and the leaders who support them – for the digital age. After receiving the 2017 TED Prize, Dr. Raj Panjabi, CEO of Last Mile Health, launched the Community Health Academy to build the world’s first digital platform to provide opportunities for members of the community health field to improve upon their critical, life-saving skills through continuing professional and medical education opportunities.
Magnus brings over 25 years of senior level experience in education, digital technology, and global health to Last Mile Health. Previously, Magnus worked for seven years at World Vision Ireland, most recently serving as the Deputy CEO/Director of Programmes and Strategy. In this role, he oversaw the development, implementation and evaluation of all Development and Humanitarian Programmes in World Vision Ireland priority countries. He also led World Vision’s involvement in the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Ebola Vaccine trial currently underway in Sierra Leone and supported the development of Sierra Leone's national Community Health Worker Strategy and plan. In addition to serving as a member of the World Vision International Digital Health Steering Committee, he forged digital health partnerships with the Government of Sierra Leone, AirTel, and World Vision. Prior to joining World Vision Ireland, he held a number of senior management positions in the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland where he was Director for the Regional Centre of Nursing/Midwifery Education at the University Hospital in Galway.
Magnus holds a MHSc (Hons) in Health Services Research from the National University of Ireland, MA in Health Service Policy and Management from Brunel University (UK), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Studies from Kingston University (UK).
Dr. Angela Gichaga is a public and social sector enthusiast with experience working across civil service, consulting, and NGOs and academia. She is an executive coach, human capital and leadership development advisor with regional and global expertise, as well as an exceptional track record of optimizing performance. Angela runs her tailor made Pathway to Parity programme to empower women and young people in the workplace and society. She now serves developing country Ministries of Health and Ministries of Finance globally, in building resilient and sustainably financed primary and community health systems as CEO of the Financing Alliance for Health (FAH).
Angela completed her undergraduate degree in Medicine, Masters in Health Economics and Policy and Fellowship in Public Sector Management. FAH was a Skoll Awardee in 2022.
Josh Nesbit is the co-founder and former CEO of Medic, a nonprofit organization founded to improve health with and in the hardest-to-reach communities. The open-source software helps over 35,000 community health workers provide care for more than 20 million people in Africa and Asia. These health workers deliver care and services, door-to-door, through more than 1.5 million home visits each month. Together with our partners, we envision a more just world in which health workers are supported as they provide care for their neighbors, universal health coverage is a reality, and health is secured as a human right.
Before co-founding Medic, Josh studied global health and bioethics at Stanford University, where his qualitative research focused on pediatric HIV/AIDS in Malawi. Josh is an Ashoka Fellow, PopTech Social Innovation Fellow, Echoing Green Fellow, and Rainer Arnhold Fellow. He has served on the Board of Directors for Developing Radio Partners and IntraHealth International. Josh was selected by Devex as one of 40 Under 40 Leaders in International Development, received the Truman Award for Innovation from the Society for International Development, and was named by Forbes as one of the world’s 30 top social entrepreneurs. In 2014, Medic received a Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship. In 2016, Josh accepted a Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award. Josh is continually inspired by health workers around the world.
Dr. Alinafe Kasiya is the Deputy Country Director for VillageReach Malawi and also the Program Lead for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health. Alinafe has over 15 years’ experience in health promotion, social and behavior change communication (SBCC) and international development in Malawi and within Sub Saharan Africa. Previously Alinafe has successfully managed projects in the areas of maternal and child health, malaria, nutrition, family planning, HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health, gender and governance. Alinafe holds a PhD in Development Studies, specializing in governance and development, from SOAS, University of London.
