Ms. Desta Lakew

Desta Lakew is a strategic partnership lead. She currently serves as the Group Director for Partnerships & External Affairs at Amref Health Africa’s headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. Desta leads global thought leadership and external engagements and was instrumental in the establishment and leadership of the bi-annual Africa Health Agenda International Conference. In addition, she has led the global south dialogue knowledge exchange platform on Universal Health Coverage in Africa and Asia and the launching various campaigns including the Africa CoVID-19 Vaccine Equity Campaign and Communities at the Heart of UHC global advocacy campaign. Born in Ethiopia, Desta holds a Masters of Public Health degree from Hunter College of the State University of New York. Desta has served on several global committees including The Future of Global Health Initiatives, Lusaka Agenda, FP10, Global Patient Think Tank, and the Global Health Equity Group.