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Dr. AKPA RAPHAEL GBARY, Regional Adviser for Human Resources for Health
Dr Akpa Raphael Gbary, a citizen of Côte d’Ivoire is an experienced health professional with extensive experience in human resources for health (HRH) development. He is currently the Regional Adviser for Human Resources for Health and focal point for this Area of Work in the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa in Brazzaville, Congo. Dr Gbary obtained a degree in medicine in 1979 from the Faculty of Medicine at the Peoples’ Friendship Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow. The same year, he obtained a diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene at Faculty of Medicine, University of Aix-Marseille II of France.
He started his career in 1980 as medical epidemiologist at the Institut national de Santé publique of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. In 1985, he was seconded as a researcher and deputy Chief of Research Unit to Organization de Coordination et de Coopération pour la Lutte contre les Grandes Endémies (Organization for Coordination and Cooperation of Major Endemic Diseases Control) at Centre Muraz, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. This was a sub-regional organization made up of Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Mauritanie, Niger, Sénégal and Togo. He was teaching as assistant professor of epidemiology and research methods at School of Health Sciences, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Faculty of Medicine, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
His work as researcher involved applied field research on malaria, other tropical diseases and utilization of health services, training of young researchers and consultancies for bi and multilateral organizations. He was promoted as senior researcher, Head of Epidemiology and Operational Research Unit and Associate Professor of Public Health after obtaining his PhD in Epidemiology and Community Health in 1995 at Faculty of Medicine, University of Montréal, Canada.
He joined the Cabinet of the Minister of Public Health and Population, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as Senior Adviser in charge of health programmes in 1997. In 1998, he was called to serve as National Director of Community Health where he fostered his experience of district health systems, building partnerships and working with national and international partners and developing strategic documents on national public health. He was concomitantly teaching epidemiology and research methods. He also represented the Minister as Chair of various health care organizations executive boards.
At the end of 1998, he was called upon by WHO Regional Office for Africa to be part of the newly established Roll Back Malaria Initiative as Adviser responsible for partnerships and capacity building in the African Region. Following the assignment, he was again designated as Regional Adviser for HRH. During the four and half years spent in this position, Dr Gbary coordinated the HRH Team, contributed to significantly raise awareness on human resources for health issues and place them high on the agenda of political leaders at regional and international fora. He has coordinated efforts to provide support to over 30 countries to develop their human resources policies and plans and strengthen Regional African training institutions and network of WHO Collaborating Centres on HR.
Dr Gbary is fluent in written and spoken French and English languages. He received the Mohamed El Fasi Award for International Francophone Research in 1994.
Dr Gbary has published many papers in peer reviewed international journals and is member of several scientific associations including West African Society of Parasitology, Canadian Association of Public Health and Association for French Speaking Epidemiologists. He is happily married with children and is a keen sports man.
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