Speaker Profile

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Adelheid Onyango is the Director of the Health Systems and Services (HSS) Cluster at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa (AFRO). In this role, she oversees WHO-AFRO’s collaboration with 47 member states to build health systems that are resilient to financial, political, economic, and environmental shocks—systems capable of delivering high-quality, person-centred services throughout the life course to achieve universal health coverage. Dr Onyango leads the Regional Office’s HSS team, coordinating with WHO global and country-based teams across Africa to design and implement strategies for effective health systems governance, financing, and workforce development. Her team works closely with governments and development partners to define service delivery models grounded in primary health care, guided by scientific evidence, and enabled by digital innovation. With more than 27 years of experience at the WHO—16 at the global headquarters and 11 at the regional office—Dr Onyango brings deep expertise in navigating complex global, regional, and national health policy dialogues and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Nutrition from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.