Zaitun Bokhary

President

Dr Bokhary is a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), Honorary Lecturer at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and a Fellow at the College of Surgeons of East Central and Southern Africa (COSECSA). She has championed the development of Children Surgery at MNH, working closely with the University of Oxford and a charity organisation KidsOR. She has managed the formation of two children surgery theatres at MNH which has helped to improve surgical care provision for children as well as a paediatric surgery training site for MUHAS and COSECSA.
Dr Bokhary has led a provision of complex surgical care, including the separation of conjoint twins. She has led the implementation of care bundle for children with gastroschisis, a condition where a child is born with intestines outside the abdominal cavity. This has improved mortality of these children from 100%, with approximately 70% of children with this condition now surviving at MNH. She is now leading the decentralisation of this care bundle all over Tanzania working with various partners locally and internationally.
Dr Bokhary is also leading a number of collaborative research at MNH mainly in access to children surgical care, prevention of post-operative surgical site infections and on congenital malformations. She has a number of publications on peer reviewed journals and has presented in a number of local and international conferences. As a trainer, her model has been to ensure capacity building for the whole surgical team. She has mentored and organised training for paediatric surgery trainees locally and abroad and currently received a funding from THET to provide a one-year Leadership Training for Paediatric Surgery Nurses.

Dr. Mary Mwanyika Sando

President Elect

Dr. Sando is the Chief Executive Officer for the Africa Academy for Public Health (AAPH) - Tanzania. Over the past 16 years, Dr Sando has been extensively involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) and nutrition interventions within both national and international organizations. She is currently leading efforts at AAPH to advance implementation science research, support capacity building for research and evidence translation into policy and practice. Dr Sando is an advocate for improvement of women’s health including designing of women-cantered care to promote the provision of more respectful and dignified care including respective maternity care (RMC). Prior to her current position Dr. Sando worked with UNICEF Tanzania as a Health Systems Strengthening Specialist- for MNCAH and the Maternal and Child Health manager with Management and Development for Health. Dr. Sando is a member of several technical committees and associations including the Medical Women Association of Tanzania (MEWATA). Dr. Mary Mwanyika Sando completed her medical training at the University of Dar es Salaam (Muhimbili) and her Master of Public Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Dr. Cecilia Makafu

Executive Secretary

She is a Medical Doctor (MUHAS, University of Dar es Salaam) with Masters in Public Health (Dartmouth College). She has over 15 years’ experience in patient care, treatment and public health. She held top level positions at ICAP, PSI and UMATI as Technical Director, Head of Malaria and Child Survival and Director of Programs respectively. Moreover, she supported Malawi and Lesotho in Program Design, Monitoring and Evaluations.
She is the Founder and CEO of Great World Plus Consulting (Public Health) in Tanzania.
She is also engaged in sports medicine and works as a physician for the Boxing Federation of Tanzania (BFT) and Deputy Secretary of Dar es Salaam Women Football Federation (DWFA).

Dr. Jamila S Mohamed

Publicity Secretary

Dr. Jamila is a General practitioner, a graduate from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) who’s currently working at Shree Hindu Mandal Hospital, Dar es Salaam. During her Intern year at Amana Regional Referral Hospital she was elected as the Head Intern for the program, which highlights her leadership skills and ability to work in a team. She has also been working as Assistant Publicity of MEWATA for the past years whereby she helped coordinate COVID-19 and COVID-19 Vaccine Sensitisation Campaign.
Dr. Jamila is an aspiring Pediatrition who is passionate about making a difference in the society and eager to dedicate her life in saving others. She is reverent about women empowerment and excellence in the medical field. She is hardworking and ready to make an impact in the society.

Dr. Asha Mahita

Community Coordinator

Dr. Asha Mahita is the Head of Referral Service Abroad in the Ministry of Health. Well experienced Public Health Specialist working in Health Sector for 18yrs. She served as Regional as well as District Medical Officer. Dr. Mahita believes in Improving Health System through Community engagement. She is Married with one Child.

Dr. Deograsia Mkapa

Coordinator Zonal Chapters

Dr. Mkapa she is a field epidemiologist, currently working as a District Medical Officer of Bukombe, Geita. She actively participated in National response team for COVID -19 and several disease outbreak investigations in the country.
Dr. Mkapa is an ardent on supporting girls to attain education by providing health education through girl Clubs in secondary schools where she serves as the matron. With her passion to empower more women Dr.Mkapa was selected as the regional chairperson of Women committee for the Tanzania Local Government Workers Union (TALGWU) from 2017 to 2021.
She is married and a mother of two handsome boys.

Dr. Stella Rwezaula

MWIA Coordinator

Dr. Stella is the first female Haematologist trained in Tanzania and the Head of Haematology Unit at MNH. She is a Lecturer at MUHAS & Former MEWATA honorary Treasurer. She managed to establish the clinical Haematology unit at MNH and has been involved in developing different programmes in the department (including Sickle cell and Haemophilia) as well as leading the efforts of establishing Bone marrow (Stem cell) transplant services in Tanzania in collaboration with Ministry of Health. She was the first doctor to perform the first Bone marrow (stem cell) transplant in Tanzania, East and Central Africa.