DR SAMSON OBOCHE AGBO
KEY FACTS
Position
Senior International Technical Adviser, ICHESS / Global Fund / Ministry of Health, South Sudan (since 2024)
Experience
40+ years, including 24+ years in senior roles with UNICEF, WHO, UK Government-funded programmes, international NGOs and ministries of health
Scale
Portfolios exceeding US$500 million; leadership across 25+ countries
Education
MBBS and MPH – University of Lagos
MSc Epidemiology and Diploma in Health Policy and Financing – London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
MBA, Health Systems Management – University of Liverpool
Fellowships
FRCPCH; Fellow, Faculty of Public Health (Nigeria); Senior Fellow, Royal Society for Public Health and Royal Society of Medicine
Languages
English, Hausa, Yoruba, Idoma; basic French and Portuguese
Core expertise
- Health systems, primary health care and universal health coverage: governance, organisational design, workforce, financing and performance
- Maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, immunization, communicable diseases, nutrition and community health
- Institutional strategy, investment cases, reform roadmaps and sustainability plans
- Humanitarian and fragile settings: political economy, access, fiduciary and operational risk
- Global health financing, resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder partnerships
Career highlights
- ICHESS / Global Fund – Senior International Technical Adviser to the Ministry of Health of South Sudan (since 2024): health system reform, organisational maturity assessments, governance and partner coordination
- FCDO Lafiya Programme, Nigeria – Technical Lead and Head of Health for a GBP 235 million UK Government health system programme (2020–2023)
- UNICEF – Chief of Health in Somalia; Chief of Child Survival and Development in Angola; Senior Health Specialist at the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (21 country offices)
- Save the Children UK – global Head of Health and HIV
- Former member of the Gavi Independent Review Committee
OFFICIAL CV
- Leadership experience
- Education & credentials
- 2024 – present · Senior International Technical Adviser – ICHESS / Global Fund / Ministry of Health, South Sudan
- 2020 – 2023 · Technical Lead and Head of Health – FCDO Lafiya Programme (UK Government), Nigeria
- Chief of Health – UNICEF Somalia
- Chief of Child Survival and Development – UNICEF Angola
- Senior Health Specialist – UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office
- Head of Health and HIV – Save the Children UK
- Earlier senior technical and leadership roles with WHO, Merlin and ministries of health; advisory work for UNICEF and the Global Fund
- Former member, Gavi Independent Review Committee
- MBA, Health Systems Management – University of Liverpool
- MSc Epidemiology – London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Diploma in Health Policy and Financing – London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Master of Public Health – University of Lagos / Lagos University Teaching Hospital–WHO programme
- MBBS – University of Lagos
- Fellow, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health; Fellow, Faculty of Public Health (Nigeria); Senior Fellow, Royal Society for Public Health; Senior Fellow, Royal Society of Medicine
- Member, American Public Health Association, AAAS and Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Let’s Work Together
We welcome collaboration with ministries of health, development partners, donors and research institutions. Contact us to explore how our expertise in health systems strengthening, epidemiological modeling and real-time monitoring can support your programs.
CONTACT
Mon – Fri, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
+243 822 325 425
info@ichess-us.org
OFFICE ADDRESS
Nouvelles Galeries Présidentielles
Suite 704 D, 7th floor
Gombe, Kinshasa – DRC
About ICHESS
We contribute to building resilient health systems capable of delivering universal health coverage and improving the health and well-being of all.