Nelly is a Public Health Specialist and Health Economist with over 15 years of progressive experience working in Global Health. She is currently the Head of Health Ecosystems, at the Mastercard Foundation focusing on primary healthcare workforce development, and digital health with an aim to have young people find dignified and fulfilling work opportunities in the healthcare sector. Nelly has worked across diverse sectors of healthcare across multiple countries in the continent as a frontline healthcare worker, a program manager of key initiatives on Tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS, and Diabetes in both NGOs and private sector, a technical advisor to governments on healthcare financing, a consultant, a Country Director, and an ardent NCDs advocate.

Through teamwork and strong leadership, Nelly’s work has been recognized with two awards: The Pharmaceuticals Marketing Excellence Award in 2015 for innovation, sustainability, and impact of the Changing Diabetes in Children (CDiC) program, and the Skoll Award for social innovation and impactful community health system strengthening.

Nelly is an avid communicator and conference moderator who has had various speaking engagements at global, regional, and national levels. Her passion is to catalyze candid conversations that are solution-oriented and actionable. Some of the most recent engagements include the moderation of the launch of the Africa CDC Digital Health Strategy and a panel at the International Conference on Primary Health Care.

Nelly loves reading, swimming, and mentoring young people.