R4D mourns the loss of two beloved team members
In 2023, R4D lost two remarkable colleagues. Annette Martin Özaltin passed away on October 21, and Isaac Asingpaaba Amenga-Etego, passed away on March 2. Their brilliance and unwavering dedication enriched the global health community beyond measure. Their impacts echo in the hearts of many, leaving voids impossible to fill but legacies that will endure.
Annette Özaltin
Annette Martin Özaltin (April 4, 1979 – October 21, 2023) was a cherished member of the Results for Development community. Her sudden and tragic passing has left a void in our hearts. Her professional contributions were many, and her kind and compassionate nature touched the lives of all who knew her.
Annette originally joined R4D in 2013 after completing her Master of Science in Health Care Management at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. An impressive health financing expert and skilled facilitator, she worked with a group of experts from 6 countries to produce one of the most widely used global tools in health financing, Costing of Health Services for Provider Payment: A Practical Manual. During her time at R4D, she also helped launch the Primary Health Care Performance Initiative, which brought together country policymakers, health system managers, advocates, and development partners to catalyze improvements in primary health care through better measurement and knowledge sharing. Her pioneering work on a measurement framework for primary care is now being used by the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and various countries around the world.
Annette left R4D in 2016, but rejoined our community as a Senior Fellow in 2020 when she led the COVIDaction Resilient Health Systems Innovation Challenge, which sourced innovations to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in Africa and South Asia, ultimately awarding 9 grants to innovators focused on strengthening country health systems.
In 2021, Annette returned to R4D as a program director to lead The Linked Immunisation Action Network (Linked), a global network supporting country leaders in middle-income countries to identify and implement strategies to strengthen their immunization programs to reach all children with essential vaccines. Annette led Linked’s partnership with Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and institutions in three regions to design and scale up the network’s innovative collaborative learning approach. Under Annette’s leadership, Linked expanded its reach to support immunization leaders in 25 countries and adapted its approach to increase impact through the translation of learnings from the Network to action at the country level.
In April 2023, Annette transitioned from her Linked leadership role to R4D Senior Fellow as her family relocated from Mozambique to Jamaica.
Annette was a skilled people and project manager, a strategic and analytical thinker on complex global health programs about health systems performance and resilience in low and middle-income countries, technical writer, and effective facilitator and communicator. She brought unfailing professionalism, warmth and humility to every situation. She built strong relationships with professional colleagues and is remembered by her R4D colleagues as a bright, brilliant, vibrant, adventurous, nurturing, organized, calming, fun, playful, and energetic soul. She was a close friend, supportive colleague, and impactful mentor to many people. We will miss her greatly, but we know that her influence on the culture of R4D will live on. And our hearts ache for the friends and family Annette leaves behind, especially her husband, Emre, their two young sons, Troy and Phoenix, her father Ray, and her brother Gregory.
Isaac Amenga-Etego
Isaac Asingpaaba Amenga-Etego (February 15, 1975 — March 2, 2023) was a respected and integral member of the Results for Development community. His sudden and untimely passing has left us and the community he touched with heavy hearts and a profound sense of sadness.
Isaac’s journey was one of dedication, expertise and profound impact. He wasn’t just a colleague; he was a friend, a mentor, and a beacon of professionalism. His legacy remains woven into the very fabric of R4D and echoes in the hearts of those he worked with, especially in Ghana where his colleagues have said, “a great tree has fallen.”
Isaac was extremely well-regarded as a health care quality expert within R4D, and by our partners in the government of Ghana and our funders, including USAID. He was more than an expert in health care quality; he was a driving force behind transformative initiatives. Isaac was an integral part of the global Health System Strengthening Accelerator project and was instrumental in supporting Ghana’s Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) to increase effectiveness, and ultimately improve the quality of care for millions of Ghanaians.
He helped launch a Mobile Online Information System that allows for easier registration and access to HeFRA services for facilities across the country. Thanks to a process Isaac helped create and steer, HeFRA’s new quality standards now benefit from input provided by a diverse array of stakeholders. Isaac also led training programs for 200+ assessors, and helped launch a digital facility assessment platform that assessors are beginning to use to enforce quality standards.
Rarely does any of us get the chance to have such a big and positive influence on such an important agency and function of a health system. Isaac did and he did it extremely well. His dedication and accomplishments stand as testaments to his commitment to better health care for all.
Isaac’s impact extended beyond his professional contributions. His warm smile and gentle demeanor offered comfort and inspiration to those around him. Whether it was through his presentations or the quiet moments of guidance and support, Isaac’s influence was profound.
Isaac’s work touched the lives of countless individuals, and his contributions to various organizations and projects will continue to shape the landscape of health care quality. His journey with us was one of dedication, impact, and inspiration. His loss leaves a void that words cannot fill, but his legacy will endure, guiding us as we continue the work he so passionately believed in.
Our hearts go out to Isaac’s family especially his wife, Modesta, their three young children, Bautheser, Berwin and Beatta, and his brothers Lucas and Rudolf.
