The ALMA Youth Advisory Council (AYAC) is made up of 11 young people. As part of the council, the young people provide ALMA with strategic and operational guidance on engaging young people in the fight against malaria and the movement towards universal health coverage.

Membership of the council is currently full. We are not currently taking any further applications to join the council. Learn about the selection criteria for the council and other ways you can get involved in the fight against malaria and the movement for universal health coverage.

Aloyce Urassa, Tanzania

Chairperson of the ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Aloyce is a public health scientist focusing on the intersection of climate change and health, with a specialisation in health systems and implementation research and a background in health laboratory sciences.

Passionate about health diplomacy, research, advocacy, innovations and entrepreneurship, Aloyce has contributed to scientific studies aimed at malaria transmission-blocking interventions.

He serves as a board member of Rotarians Against Malaria Global, a speaker for the Global Fund Advocate Network, and a consultant on public health policy, advocacy, supply chain, program monitoring, evaluation and documentation.

He has played a pivotal role in various global, international, and national initiatives, including the development of shared principles for climate change and health financing, leading the Global CSOs advocacy under The Global Fund ahead of COP28. Aloyce also served as the Co-Chair of the SADC Youth Forum Climate Change and Environment Committee in 2020, Country Coordinator for NextGen Global Health Security in 2021, and as a Youth Leader for Health (YL4H) and malaria youth champion from 2019 to 2021.

Aloyce’s email address: louisurassa@gmail.com

Eunice Eleanor Klinogo, Ghana

Vice chair, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Eunice is a changemaker with significant experience in youth engagement. She advocates for mental health, climate change and women’s empowerment, reaching numerous young people across Africa and Europe.

Eunice previously served as the Commonwealth Youth Council Africa and Europe Representative and as the Head of the SDGs unit at the All-Africa Students Union. She is passionate about universal health, sustainability and advancing women in STEM.

Eunice’s email address: djiejormk@gmail.com

Dr Phillip T. Chigiya, Zimbabwe

Secretary, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Along with serving as the representative for the Southern Africa region on the council, Dr Phillip is also a:

• development assistant for Africa, International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA)
• malaria and neglected tropical diseases advocate, Global Shapers – Harare Hub

Previously, he served as National President at the Zimbabwe Medical Students Association from 2017 to 2018.

Dr Phillip’s email address: phillchigiya@gmail.com

Brian Gitta, Uganda

East Africa co-lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Brian is the co-founder of thinkIT which developed a bloodless malaria test, detecting signs of malaria by shining a red beam of light on the patient’s finger. This creation led to Brian winning the UK Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.

Over the past several years, Brian has engaged directly with other young innovators, including start-up companies from Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda. As engagements with other young African innovators has strengthened, it has allowed Brian to explore new technologies in an effort to address, what often times seem like, intractable problems.

Brian’s email: gittabrian@gmail.com

Annette Onyango, Kenya

East Africa co-lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Dr Annette is a Kenyan medical doctor with a deep passion for planetary health, infectious diseases and field epidemiology.

Currently, she is volunteering in the Zero Malaria Campaign as part of the advocacy team with the Kenya Malaria Youth Corps, supporting grassroots level malaria prevention and control efforts to drive policy implementation.

As a Malaria Youth Champion for Malaria No More UK, she contributed to a film production for the Zero Malaria Campaign in 2022. This film was showcased at the 7th Global Replenishment Fund Conference to advocate for funding towards malaria elimination.

Dr Annette also serves on the Kenya Medical Association’s Planetary Health Ad Hoc Committee and has previously held positions in the Medical Students Association of Kenya Presidents’ Council and the Millennium Fellowship under the UN Academic Impact.

Annette’s email: annette.odull@gmail.com

Odinaka Kingsley Obeta, Nigeria

West Africa lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Odinaka is a medical laboratory scientist and award-winning social worker from Nigeria. He is passionate about the control and eradication of malaria in Nigeria and across Africa.

Odinaka also serves as:

• Project lead, Block Malaria Project
• Lead strategist, Med Lab Convo
• Malaria champion, Malaria No More UK

He is interested in public health with a focus on health communication and promotion, health system strengthening and policy development.

Odinaka’s email address: obetaodinaka@gmail.com

Zeinabou Ide, Niger

Central Africa co-lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Zeinabou works as a programme and advocacy officer for the NGO Impact Santé Afrique and the platform Civil Society for Malaria Elimination (CS4ME). This global platform unites civil society organisations and communities to achieve malaria elimination.

In 2019, she was part of the team of young people who advocated for increased resources for Global Fund funds to save more lives at the 6th Global Fund Conference in Lyon. 

She is also a member of the RBM Partnership’s Strategic Communications Partner Committee (SCPC).

Zeinabou’s email: zeinabou.ide@impactsante.org

Schadrack Girukwishaka, Burundi

Central Africa co-lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Schadrack holds a Master’s degree in Science and Integrated Environmental Management, specialising in water and sanitation.

He formerly worked at the Royal Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, Belgium, and was a member of the African Youth Advisory Council on Disaster Risk Reduction. The Africa Youth Advisory Board aims to be an inclusive, open and transparent platform for young Africans to engage in the design, implementation, monitoring and review of regional youth policies.

Schadrack’s email: girukwishakasc85@gmail.com

Helena Ngaifiwa, Namibia

Southern Africa lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Helena is a Break Free Youth Ambassador at the Office of the First Lady of the Republic of Namibia. In this role, she implements projects and creates public awareness on initiatives.

Previously, Helena was a media presenter and co-founded the National Youth Women Association, which was established under the National Youth Council of Namibia. The association brings together young women empowerment and national development in Namibia. It also deals with day to day issues faced by women such as sexual and gender-based violence and other health-related issues.

Helena’s email address: helenangaifiwa@gmail.com

Richard Dzikunu, Ghana (currently lives in Belgium)

Diaspora lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Richard is a United Nations award-winning youth advocate recognised for his contributions to adolescent health policy, strategic communications, grassroots mobilisation and advocacy.

In 2018, he was honoured with the first-ever Sustainable Development Goals Action Campaign Award by the United Nations during the Global Festival of Action for Sustainable Development in Bonn, Germany.

Richard has extensive experience in sexual and reproductive health rights, primary healthcare programming and advocacy, the integration of digital technology in Universal Health Coverage advocacy, the implementation of youth-led governance, research and accountability projects.

He has served as a Programs Officer for Curious Minds in Ghana, an Advocacy Associate at the Primary Health Care Initiative with PAI in Washington DC (Global Health Corps Fellowship), Youth Officer for Transform Health Association in Geneva, and is currently the Action Learning Groups Lead with the YIELD Hub hosted by Rutgers International in the Netherlands.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Master of Arts degree in Development Communication from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, along with a joint Master of Arts degree in Digital Communication Leadership from Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Paris Lodron University of Salzburg.

Richard’s email address: richardodee@gmail.com

Aminetou Bilal, Mauritania

North Africa lead, ALMA Youth Advisory Council

Aminetou is a technical advisor in charge of communications within the Mauritania Ministry of Social Affairs, Children and Family.

From 2018 to 2021, she served as an African Union Youth Advisory Council member at the Office of the AU Youth Envoy. Aminetou has also served as a One Young World Youth Ambassador.

Aminetou is an environmental advocate and a member of the Resilient 40 Climate Change youth programme. In 2018, she was selected for the Obama Mandela Washington Youth Fellowship Programme.

Aminetou’s email address: mina741991@gmail.com