Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Awards
Publications
Professional Specialized Training Courses
Timeline

Brian Atuhaire

Public Health Specialist
Nairobi

Summary

Public Health and Immunization Programme Specialist with nearly 15 years of progressive experience leading immunization initiatives at country, regional, and global levels. Proven expertise in the introduction of new vaccines and implementation of high-impact vaccination campaigns, including Measles-Rubella (MR) and other critical vaccines. Skilled in deploying innovative strategies and tools to drive high, equitable coverage and sustainable health initiatives and immunization programmes. A passionate champion for smart integration and efficiency, and I have supported the designing and execution of evidence-based approaches that maximize programme outcomes and value for money. My previous portfolio includes successful management of multi-country immunization and health systems grants in collaboration with Gavi, PATH, WHO, UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, and other global partners. With deep contextual knowledge of Nigeria and several other countries, I bring a nuanced understanding of health and immunization system structures, stakeholder landscapes, and operational realities essential for delivering effective and resilient vaccination programmes. Honored recipient of the Advancing Public Health Excellence (APHE) and Aspen New Voices Fellowship, I bring both thought leadership and hands-on technical depth to every assignment.

Overview

15
15
years of professional experience
9
9
Certifications
3
3
Languages

Work History

Health Specialist, New Vaccines and Integrated Delivery

UNICEF Headquarters
09.2024 - Current
  • Provide strategic and technical leadership for UNICEF’s new vaccines and integrated delivery portfolio, supporting the rollout and programmatic integration of HPV, Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV), Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Tetanus-diphtheria (Td) boosters, and measles-containing vaccines, particularly in second year and life-cycle immunization schedules. Currently supporting Kenya’s nationwide integrated MR and TCV campaign (July 2025), in collaboration with the Accelerated Immunization (Measles) Team, ensuring technical quality and operational readiness.
  • Lead implementation research and evidence generation on life cycle and integrated vaccination strategies for priority vaccines including HPV, TCV, Td, and MR, with a strong focus on adolescent health delivery platforms. Provide country-level technical assistance to strengthen readiness for new vaccine introductions and campaigns, promoting high-quality, cost-effective, and equitable immunization services.
  • Coordinated cross-functional collaboration with UNICEF country and regional offices, Gavi, the Gates Foundation, and other technical partners to ensure aligned and coherent support for national vaccination initiatives. Represented UNICEF on global and regional technical coordination platforms, including HPV, TCV, and JE sub-teams, working closely with focus country technical teams to design and deliver high-impact vaccination interventions.

Programme Manager, High impact Countries

Gavi Secretariat
05.2020 - 08.2024
  • Provided technical and programmatic leadership across key immunization initiatives, including HPV vaccine introduction, implementation of phased measles-containing vaccines (MCV) campaigns, and routine immunization strengthening and zero-dose focused interventions. Coordinated technical assistance efforts in collaboration with partners and worked with national immunization working groups to ensure effective planning, preparation, and execution of high-quality vaccination activities. Supported country teams in developing and submitting MR introduction applications, guiding them through review and approval processes.
  • Led the design and delivery of integrated vaccination campaigns, incorporating polio and other antigens in targeted states, with a strong focus on reaching zero-dose and under-immunized children in fragile, conflict-affected, and sub-national settings. Successfully supported the introduction of HPV vaccine reaching over 12 million girls, contributing to improved adolescent health outcomes and long-term cervical cancer prevention.
  • Managed programmatic and technical support for high-impact country portfolios, including Nigeria and Ethiopia. Oversaw a health systems strengthening grant portfolio exceeding USD 130 million, along with more than 68 technical assistance grants, supporting workstreams focused on improving immunization equity, boosting coverage, and strengthening health system delivery capacity.

Technical Officer, New Vaccines Introduction

WHO, AFRO & HQ
04.2018 - 04.2020
  • From May 2019 – April 2020 under WHO HQ, led technical assistance and policy formulation, working with Regional and Country Offices and partners to support new vaccines including HPV, malaria, TCV, OCV and MCV vaccination through the second year of life platform and life cycle vaccination. Supported the 2019 MR campaign in Pakistan Worked with various partners to develop reference guidelines and conduct learning workshops with key staff and stakeholders across different regions.
  • From April 2018 to July 2018 under WHO AFRO, was deployed to Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi under short assignments to support new vaccine introduction for HPV, PCV10 switch, yellow fever, and malaria. Supported in-country coordination efforts with various stakeholders including sub-national/district managers to ensure equitable access for the new vaccines.

Programme Manager, Vaccines and Immunization

PATH
06.2015 - 05.2019
  • Led PATH’s country immunization portfolio including BMGF and Gavi funded grants to provide technical support to Uganda immunization programme and other project countries including DRC, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya. Appointed by Uganda’s Minister of Health to the Technical Advisory Committee, a small committee of experts to advise Ministry of Health leadership on key immunization decisions especially with regards to health systems strengthening and sub-national level targeting.
  • Successfully led immunization financing advocacy efforts under a BMGF grant that saw Uganda Government increase its domestic financing for vaccines from US$ 2.4 to 5.6 million in 2 years. Led various immunization supply chain and programmatic innovations at district level including cold chain equipment evaluations, controlled temperature chain and polio activities including bOPV switches.

Programme Officer, Health

World Vision Uganda
03.2014 - 05.2015
  • Led World Vision Uganda’s Maternal Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) programme including immunization, providing technical and programmatic oversight to interventions across 45 districts of World Vision operations with a focus on districts in humanitarian settings especially those with IDPs and refugees.
  • Provided technical oversight over district-level immunization and MNCHN interventions including leading sub-granting various workstreams to local entities and coordinating these for targeted programme outcomes. Led field support and oversight of various vaccination campaigns including measles vaccination campaigns, polio and Meningitis A vaccines sub nationally.

Regional Public Health Coordinator

World Vision Uganda and USAID
11.2012 - 03.2014
  • Led a public health programme for a USAID-funded multi-sector (health, nutrition, economic empowerment) project implemented by a consortium of 5 NGOs in a fragile, insecure and drought-hit Karamoja region in Northern Uganda. Managed a team of 5 technical staff and partners supporting various immunization and nutrition outreach activities and related community health worker training initiatives.

Project Officer, Health and WASH

World Vision Uganda
10.2010 - 10.2012
  • Deployed in recently resettled internally displaced people (IDP) in various districts in Northern Uganda, supported efforts to restore basic health service interventions to returning community members in war-affected districts. Worked at the frontline with district and community health workers and partners to implement immunization outreaches and campaigns including polio house to house vaccination activities.

Education

Master of Public Health -

Walden University
01.2015

Diploma - Supply Chain Management

Allison Learning Center
01.2016

Post-Graduate Diploma - Project Planning and Management

UMI
01.2013

Bachelor of Environmental Health Science - undefined

Makerere University
01.2010

Skills

Immunization, New Vaccines and Vaccination Campaigns Expertise Extensive technical and programmatic expertise supporting the introduction and scale-up of new vaccines—including MR, HPV, TCV, PCV, and Yellow Fever—across diverse settings in Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Pakistan, and beyond Demonstrated leadership both at the country level and in regional/global coordination roles Deep understanding of the Measles-Rubella (MR) landscape, particularly in Nigeria, having supported multiple MCV campaign phases from application development through planning, implementation, and post-campaign evaluation, and application and planning for MR Participated and periodically chaired the various technical working groups including the measles core working group with Gates Foundation, CDC, WHO, UNICEF, and Government counterparts in Nigeria

Certification

Advanced Vaccinology short course by Center for Global Health May 2021

Awards

2018 Aspen Institute New Voices Fellowship, 2016 Uganda Young Achievers’ Award – Health Impact Category, 2014 Advancing Public Health Excellence Scholarship

Publications

  • Justice Moses K. Aheto, Iyanuloluwa Deborah Olowe, Ho Man Theophilus Chan, Adachi Ekeh, Boubacar Dieng, Biyi Fafunmi, Hamidreza Setayesh, Brian Atuhaire, Jessica Crawford, Andrew J Tatem, C. Edson Utazi. (October 2023). Geospatial analyses of recent household surveys to assess changes in the distribution of zero-dose children and associated factors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Available online at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/vaccines/special_issues/3DIMVZS00B
  • Lennon, P., Atuhaire, B., Yavari, S., Sampath, V., Mvundura, M., Ramanathan, N., & Robertson, J. (2017). Root-cause analysis underscores the importance of understanding, addressing, and communicating cold chain equipment failures to improve equipment performance. Vaccine, 35(17), 2198–2202. Available online at http://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.09.068 / https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5390282/
  • Atuhaire, B. (2018, May 15). To vaccinate more girls, involve teachers. The Lancet Global Health Blog. [Blog Post] Available online at http://globalhealth.thelancet.com/2018/05/15/vaccinate-more-girls-involve-teachers and at https://www.thelancet.com/pb-assets/Lancet/langlo/TLGH_Blogs_2013-2018-1552323974250.pdf pg.28-29
  • Atuhaire, B. (2018, July 12). Health Coverage Must Not Ignore Africa’s Elderly. Project Syndicate. [Blog Post] Available online at https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/africa-health-coverage-excluding-older-patients-by-brian-atuhaire-2018-07
  • Luzze, H., Badiane, O., Ndiaye, E., Ndiaye, A., Atuhaire, B., Atuhebwe, P., Guinot, P., Sosne, E., & Gueye, A. (2017). Understanding the policy environment for immunization supply chains: Lessons learned from landscape analyses in Uganda and Senegal. Vaccine, 35(17), 2141 – 2147. Available online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.10.089
  • Atuhaire, B. (2016, April 25). A refrigerator can save a life: improving the supply chain to protect African kids. How do we ensure lifesaving vaccines are available in remote, off-the-grid clinics? One answer: go solar [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blog.path.org/2016/04/refrigerator-can-save-a-life-improving-the-supply-chain-protect-african-kids/

Professional Specialized Training Courses

  • Advanced Vaccinology short course by Center for Global Health May 2021
  • Project Management for Development Professionals by APM Group May 2012
  • Systems Thinking in Public Health by Johns Hopkins University Nov 2016
  • Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Management by WHO in Greece May 2016
  • Immunization Supply Chain Management by UNICEF & WHO Dec 2016
  • Vaccine Economics by Johns Hopkins University in Boston, June 2017
  • Health Financing for Universal Health Coverage by WHO May 2018
  • Basics of Health Economics by The World Bank Group June 2018
  • Protecting Human Research Participants by National Institute of Health Sept 2016

Timeline

Health Specialist, New Vaccines and Integrated Delivery - UNICEF Headquarters
09.2024 - Current
Programme Manager, High impact Countries - Gavi Secretariat
05.2020 - 08.2024
Technical Officer, New Vaccines Introduction - WHO, AFRO & HQ
04.2018 - 04.2020
Programme Manager, Vaccines and Immunization - PATH
06.2015 - 05.2019
Programme Officer, Health - World Vision Uganda
03.2014 - 05.2015
Regional Public Health Coordinator - World Vision Uganda and USAID
11.2012 - 03.2014
Project Officer, Health and WASH - World Vision Uganda
10.2010 - 10.2012
Allison Learning Center - Diploma, Supply Chain Management
UMI - Post-Graduate Diploma, Project Planning and Management
Makerere University - Bachelor of Environmental Health Science,
Walden University - Master of Public Health,

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Brian AtuhairePublic Health Specialist