Achieving the Millennium Development Goals for maternal and child health (Goals 4 and 5) still poses a great challenge for several low-income countries. An analysis of the most recent (2001–2006) Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and an adjacent prior wave (1995–2000) reveals a wide variation in the role of the private sector in health care for women of reproductive ages and children under five in 19 low-income countries in subSaharan Africa and 6 low-income countries in South and Southeast Asia. Health providers or facilities sought by women in nationally representative households for four care tracers—modern contraception, birth delivery, and treatment of child diarrhea and child fever and cough—were grouped hierarchically into three major sources: the informal, formal private, and public sectors.

The private sector provided more than 50 percent of family planning services in 8 of the 19 low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in 2 of the 6 countries in South and Southeast Asia, mostly through formal private providers or facilities. The private sector—especially informal providers—was even more dominant in delivery. However, in Vietnam (2002), the public sector dominated these health markets for women. The informal sector strongly prevailed in family planning in Cameroon (2004) and in delivery care in Ethiopia (2005) and Bangladesh (2004), while in Indonesia (2002) the formal private sector provided the greatest share of both family planning and delivery care. The informal sector was most prevalent for the treatment of child diarrhea and child fever and cough, particularly in Chad (2004) and Mali (2001). In Vietnam, Nepal (2006), and Uganda (2006), the informal sector played a minimal role in the treatment of diarrhea and of fever and cough, while in Mozambique (2003) treatment by the public sector dominated. Treatment of these two diseases by the formal private sector predominated in India (2005).

A comparison of two DHS waves (five to six years apart) shed light on an expanding (or shrinking) trend in this private-public mix in women’s and children’s health care for some countries. For observable urban-rural and rich-poor gaps, the formal private sector typically tended to prevail in the health care for urban or wealthier populations more than for their rural or poorer counterparts. For family planning services, rural or poorer subgroups in most countries relied heavily on the public sector (except in Mozambique and Mali). Ironically, the public sector was found to be more prevalent in the care for the better-off in delivery care in all countries. This analysis of DHS data found mixed results in the urban-rural and rich-poor gaps in the treatment of children. Chad and Mali were the two low-income countries showing a consistent pattern of both the formal private and public sectors figuring more prominently in the care for the better-off, while Vietnam was an example of low-income countries where the worse-off depended largely on the public sector for treatment of both illnesses.

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Dr. Claeson, a globally recognized expert in maternal and child health, is former director of the Global Financing Facility. Ms. Kainyah is a seasoned multinational executive with a legal background and her own firm, Kina Advisory, which provides advice critical to sustainable development in Africa to governments and companies. Mr. Loum, former prime minister of Senegal (1998–2000), is a dedicated public servant who brings a deep understanding of the needs of government change agents, including political, technical and implementation challenges. Ms. Pace is the president and executive director of the Global Health Council, and a tireless advocate for global health programs that effectively engage and meet the needs of their communities.

Gina Lagomarsino, president and CEO of R4D, said: “Earlier this year, we adopted a new strategy, which reflects a changing global development landscape and will serve as a guide for how we design our programs and how we build organizational capabilities in the coming years. I’m thrilled to welcome our newest board members at this pivotal time. Their counsel will be critical as we work to implement our strategy and manage continued uncertainty, the global recovery from COVID-19 and the global movement toward more just and equitable societies.”

R4D continues to support change agents — government officials, civil society leaders and private sector innovators — in low- and middle-income countries as they build strong systems to achieve large-scale, lasting improvements in health, education and nutrition. R4D’s strategy, adopted in May 2020, recognizes and responds to the current situation in the world, including the COVID-19 pandemic (which has created interrelated catastrophes in health, education and nutrition) and the need to dismantle structural racism in our field. The new strategy emphasizes approaches that support country-level systems change and build strong regional ecosystems that shift the locus of technical support to country and regional institutions and experts.

David de Ferranti, R4D board chair and senior advisor, added: “I’m excited to welcome Mariam, Rosalind, Lamine and Loyce to R4D’s board of directors. This impressive group brings significant experience and expertise working as public servants and leaders in the fields of development, health, business and finance.”

Learn more about the board

Dr. Mariam Claeson

Mariam Claeson, M.D., M.P.H., is the former director of the Global Financing Facility (GFF) for Every Woman Every Child at the World Bank. Prior to the GFF, she served as director for the Maternal Newborn and Child Health team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She also worked at the World Bank from 1998–2012, where she worked as the program coordinator for the multisectoral response to AIDS in the South Asia Region as well as task team leader for HIV operations in India and Afghanistan, among other roles.

She said: “I am excited to join the R4D family as Board member because its mission, to work with change-agents in countries to create self-sustaining systems that support healthy, well-nourished and educated people, is more urgent and relevant than ever and central to the development agenda of the 2020s. I think that R4D is well-positioned to contribute and make a difference to our collective response to global inequities.”

Learn more about Dr. Claeson.

Ms. Rosalind Kainyah

Rosalind Kainyah, L.L.M., is an environmental lawyer and founder and managing director of Kina Advisory. In this role, she works with companies to ensure they have positive socioeconomic impacts on the countries in which they operate, while realizing optimal financial value. She is a trusted advisor to boards and senior executives of global companies on responsible business investment and partnerships in emerging markets. Ms. Kainyah has almost 30 years of combined international, senior management, executive and board level experience.

“It is a privilege to be joining the board of Results for Development, and I look forward to using my passion and experience to support the great work of Gina and the rest of the R4D team to address global inequalities in health, education and nutrition. These inequalities have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and there is an urgent need for localised solutions to these challenges. By working with local agents to drive change, Results for Development is leading the way in creating long-term, sustainable improvements across the three sectors.”

Learn more about Ms. Kainyah.

Mr. Mamadou Lamine Loum

Mamadou Lamine Loum served as Prime Minister of Senegal from 1998–2000. He began his government career in Senegal as Inspector of the Treasury, which led to the post of General Treasurer and then Director General of the Treasury. He later became Deputy Minister in charge of the budget then Minister of the Economy, Finance and Planning. More recently he has worked as an independent consultant in Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Togo, Algeria, Ghana and Guinea for international organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, OIF, IDB, UNDP, African Union, UEMOA and BOAD.

He said: “I am fully committed to supporting this relatively young, but well-known organization’s efforts to support change agents to improve health, education and nutrition outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. I have focused on these important issues from many angles during my long career, and I hope to contribute to R4D’s further success.”

Learn more about Mr. Loum.

Ms. Loyce Pace

Loyce Pace, M.P.H., is the president and executive director of the Global Health Council (GHC), a leading membership organization which supports and connects global health advocates, implementers, and stakeholders worldwide. Ms. Pace is a leader who has worked in more than 15 countries delivering health programs and mobilizing advocates. She has served as GHC president and executive director since December 2016. She previously held leadership positions in global policy and strategic partnerships at LIVESTRONG Foundation and American Cancer Society.

She said: “It’s a privilege to join the board of R4D at a time when people in our sector and around the world are not only acknowledging the importance of strong health systems but also building those with underserved communities at the table. I am thrilled to support the organization and its partners in how they prioritize local leadership and civil society engagement across health and development programs, so we all emerge even stronger.”

Learn more about Ms. Pace.

To see R4D’s full list of board members, click here.

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About Results for Development
Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too. For more information, visit our website at: www.r4d.org

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More recently he has worked as an independent consultant in Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Togo, Algeria, Ghana and Guinea for international organizations such as the World Bank, IMF, OIF, IDB, UNDP, African Union, UEMOA and BOAD. He has consulted on a range of topics, including development economics, governance, public finances, banking and insurance, natural resource management, agricultural development, and mining and extractive industries.

He has worked in Senegal and abroad as an independent director of a variety of companies, as well as private foundations involved in philanthropy and economic and social research. In addition, he has officiated in international arbitration between states and private companies under national or foreign law. As an international volunteer from 2004 to 2015, he served as a representative of Francophone Borrowing Countries under IDA, a subsidiary of the World Bank. Mr. Loum was also a moderator of the Assises Nationales du Sénégal – Senegal’s National Conference (2008-2010) and vice president of the National Commission for Institutional Reforms (2013-2014).

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Find the full program here.

Yodi Tesfaye, Associate Director for R4D in Ethiopia, will be moderating the following panel discussion at 2:15 local time on Thursday, April 27:

ANTIBIOTIC ACCESS IN AN ERA OF EXCESS: How to ensure children with pneumonia are properly treated

• Moderator: Ms Yewedalem (Yodi) Tesfaye, Associate Director, Results for Development, Ethiopia
• Dr Chad Centner, Technical Officer, Antimicrobial Resistance, World Health Organization
• Professor Cissy Kartasasmita, Director, Center for Collaborative Research on Acute Respiratory Infection,
  Indonesia
• Dr Zemene Tigabu Kebede, Director, Enhanced Management of Pneumonia in Community (EMPIC) Study,
  University of Gondar, Ethiopia
• Mr César Kasongo Bujito, Senior Technical Advisor, USAID-Medicines, Technologies, and Pharmaceutical
  Services (MTaPS) Program, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), Democratic Republic of Congo

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Mr. Olanipekun’s interests and achievements revolve around working with budding sub-grantee non-profits from inception/proof of concept/pilot stages to receiving mainstream funding and achieving clear long-term strategic development plans.

Prior to joining R4D, Mr. Olanipekun worked as the program finance and compliance manager for West Africa for the UK government’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). In this role, he helped establish and manage the Lake Chad Basin and the West Africa Regional Response Programs for which he was awarded the CSSF global personal professional achievement award. Prior to this role, he worked with Save the Children International as the budgets and costing specialist for Nigeria. He also has worked for organizations such as EngenderHealth and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communications Programs.

Mr. Olanipekun holds bachelor and master’s degrees in accounting. He is skilled in large-scale ERP systems and software such as Quickbooks, Microsoft Power BI, and Tableau, and has expertise in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), proposal writing and budgeting, and the Sage 50 Accounting Software.

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As senior program associate at R4D, Ms. Hariharan has worked with the South African government as it moves to adopt universal health coverage principles and become single-payer. Her team provides technical assistance to the South African National Treasury and Ministry of Health on issues related to health financing and policy, such as assisting local organizations develop primary health care costing models and contributing to key workstreams under the nascent NHI.

Currently, she works on the USAID-funded Support for International Family Planning Organizations 2: Strengthening Networks (SIFPO2) project in close collaboration with Population Services International (PSI). Under this program, she works to enhance the financial sustainability of PSI’s social franchise networks through a series of activities that help franchisors/intermediary organizations (1) identify and assess opportunities to diversify financing and improve against key social franchising goals, and (2) connect with public sector and 3rd party financing, delivery, and oversight systems; this can involve helping PSI franchisors evolve into new roles as facilitators and intermediaries within the health market.

Before joining R4D, Ms. Hariharan worked with the Carter Center’s Guinea Worm Eradication Program in Chad, where she managed an active surveillance zone, strengthened educational and behavioral interventions and collaborated with national, local and intergovernmental agencies in an effort to halt guinea worm transmission. At Emory University, she worked with the Center for AIDS Research and PRISM Health group on various HIV/AIDS minority health-related issues and research nationally and internationally, and with the Georgia Department of Health on the regionalization of perinatal hospital guidelines and clinical practices.

Ms. Hariharan holds an MPH in global health, with a focus on environmental health and infectious diseases from Emory University and a BA in global studies, with minors in chemistry and African studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She speaks English and French.

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