Dr. Jennifer Mbabazi is a global health leader with over 15 years of experience advancing health systems strengthening and development programming across East, central and West Africa. In her current role at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, she works closely with governments and partners to strengthen resilient, sustainable health systems and improve health outcomes, particularly for women and girls.
Dr. Mbabazi brings deep expertise in domestic health financing, health systems reform, and large-scale programme delivery in complex and resource-constrained settings. She previously served as Senior Technical Advisor on a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation–supported health financing advocacy initiative, contributing to the implementation of the African Union’s ALM Declaration to strengthen domestic resource mobilization for health. She also served as Senior Program Officer with the Global Programs Unit at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, supporting global efforts in reproductive and maternal health.
Earlier, she provided strategic advisory and coordination support to the Board Chair of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, contributing to global health governance and partnership efforts.
Dr. Mbabazi has held several senior leadership roles with USAID across West Africa, including Senior Health Systems Strengthening Advisor and Cluster Team Lead (Mali), Acting Deputy/Health Director (Guinea and Sierra Leone), and Health Prevention Portfolio Lead (Rwanda). She co-chaired the PEPFAR HIV Prevention Technical Working Group and led USAID’s response to the West African Ebola epidemic, overseeing emergency response and post-crisis recovery across service delivery, health systems strengthening, and global health security.
She began her career working with the Ministry of Health in Rwanda, GIZ, and through various global health consultancies, shaping a multidisciplinary and systems-oriented approach to health development.
As a Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership Fellow and member of the Inaugural Alumni Executive Committee, Dr. Mbabazi is committed to advancing African leadership, strengthening institutions, and driving sustainable health system transformation across the continent.
