In a significant diplomatic meeting, Dr Kasonde Mwinga, the newly appointed World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative to Uganda, today presented her credentials to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Henry Oryem Okello in Kampala.

Hon. Oryem congratulated and welcomed Dr Mwinga, expressing appreciation for WHO's ongoing support in strengthening Uganda's health systems and addressing critical public health challenges. “We are grateful for WHO’s unwavering commitment to assisting Uganda in its fight against various health threats, including infectious, communicable, and non-communicable diseases, as well as emerging health crises,” he stated.

During her presentation, Dr Mwinga expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and reaffirmed WHO's commitment to supporting Uganda and the well-being of its people. She emphasized the importance of collaboration between WHO and the Ugandan government in addressing health challenges. “Together, we can tackle the root causes of health disparities and work towards a healthier future for all Ugandans,” she added.

Before her appointment in Uganda, Dr Mwinga served as the Director of Universal Health Coverage, Life Course Cluster, at the WHO Africa Regional Office in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, from May 2021 to 14 January 2025. In this role, she led WHO experts in improving health and well-being across different age groups through people-centered health systems aimed at achieving universal health coverage in Africa. Her work focused on placing women, children, adolescents, and older persons at the heart of health service delivery. She led teams supporting African Member States in strengthening health policy and planning, enhancing health financing systems, building a skilled and motivated health workforce, ensuring the availability of essential medicines and technologies, improving infrastructure, and establishing reliable information systems to monitor progress.

Hon. Oryem reaffirmed the government's commitment to working closely with WHO to achieve shared health objectives. He emphasized that effective partnerships are crucial for addressing the complex health challenges facing the nation and pledged the government's support to Dr Mwinga during her tenure.

Dr Mwinga brings over 30 years of medical and public health experience, having served in various roles across Africa and Asia. She was previously WHO Country Representative to Rwanda and Acting Representative in Eritrea. She also served as WHO India Team Leader for promoting health through the life course. Additionally, she has worked as a paediatric specialist, honorary lecturer, and researcher in Zambia. Trained as a public health specialist and paediatrician, her leadership will be instrumental in guiding Uganda through its current health challenges and advancing universal health coverage.