Obinna Chukwudebe, a public health professional passionate about stabilizing global health
Obinna Chukwudebe is a public health expert and an advocate for universal health coverage and equity. He has over 13 years of experience in various leadership positions within the African bio-pharmaceutical ecosystem.
Chukwudebe is the Immunization Policy Manager in the West English-speaking Africa region of Sanofi Pasteur, an innovative global healthcare and vaccine company with the sole purpose of chasing the miracles of science to improve people’s lives.
As Immunization Policy Manager, Chukwudebe pioneered the polio eradication milestone achieved for both the country and the African continent in the provision of life-saving polio vaccines for reactive and supplementary immunization programs.
Chukwudebe also led a project on exploring vaccine access opportunities and partnerships in Africa within the private health insurance ecosystem with a major focus on five (5) priority countries namely South Africa, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Egypt, and Morocco.
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Having successfully introduced and launched new vaccines into the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) for several countries, contributing to significant business growth and public health impact, Chukwudebe’s mission is to support cross-functional teams and leverage his expertise to enhance and stabilize global public health.
Chukwudebe completed a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Roehampton, South-West London. He has also completed several trainings in various fields including Basic Epidemiology (the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA), Global Health Diplomacy (The State University of New York, USA), Project Management and Policy Development in Global Health (The University of Washington, Settle, USA), and Advanced Vaccinology Training (University of Cape Town, South Africa).
Before Sanofi, Chukwudebe worked for multinational pharmaceutical companies such as Hoffman La-Roche, and Novo Nordisk where he handled leadership positions ranging from the Country Public Sector Manager, Marketing, Public Affairs, and Sales with vast exposure to the African healthcare systems, challenges and opportunities.
Chukwudebe has collaborated with UNICEF, GAVI, WHO, and other partners to create awareness and demand for vaccination, leading regional workstreams and projects to develop strategic plans and value propositions for the private health insurance sector. He is a member of the national new vaccine introductory group in Nigeria, and a member of the Chartered Management Institute, UK.