Faith to Action Network

African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace

Dr. Francis Kuria Kagema, is the Secretary General of the African Council of Religious Leaders-Religions for Peace. He has also served as the Executive Director of Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK) 2008. Dr. Kuria had also served as Programs Director and head of the IRCK secretariat for a period of six years.   Before joining IRCK, Dr. Kuria worked as the National Coordinator for the Small Business Network, an organisation advocating for small and medium enterprises.  He also worked as a Financial Analyst at the Nairobi Stock Exchange and as a volunteer with St. John Ambulance Brigade where he served for 16 years, retiring as Assistant Commissioner, Training and Operations in 1998.  Dr. Kuria holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.

University of Muhammadiyah Prof. Dr. HAMKA

Dr. Emma Rachmawati, is a Public Health Coordinator and General Health Advisory Council at Central Board of Muhammadiyah Organization, Indonesia

She is a lecturer at the Faculty of Health Sciences and has served two terms as its Dean between 2011-2018. Dr. Rachmawati is currently also serving as national head of ethical clearance at the health research commission. She is also coordinator at the triple elimination (HIV/AIDS, syphilis and hepatitis b) partnership program.

In Muhammadiyah Organization, she serves as a Public Health Coordinator for the General Health Advisory Council, Central Board. She is also responsible for Partnership Program since 2011 in public health programs such as health promoting hospital and reproductive health at Muhammadiyah Islamic Boarding Schools. She is a member of  Health Council of the Central Board for ‘Aisiyah Organization (Woman’s wing organization of Muhammadiyah), Indonesian Public Health Professional Certification Agency (LSPKMI) Treasury and Indonesian Public Health Association, Jakarta Branch’s Expert Board.

She is currently Coordinator of Public Health and Education Division, Muhammadiyah Covid-19 Command Center (MCCC)

Catholic Organization for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid)

Geertje van Mensvoort is Sexual Reproductive Health Advisor at Cordaid in the Netherlands and has extensive experience in Development Aid.  She has a background in sociology and health education.  Within Cordaid she works, among others, on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and Gender programs. She has been involved in studies on religion and SRHR and developed a training manual for religious leaders on adolescent sexual and reproductive health.  She is currently supporting several programs including the Jeune S3 programme in DRC, CAR, Benin and Cameroon. Before joining Cordaid she worked for UNAIDS in Ghana and Ethiopia.

Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH)

Dr. Douglas Huber is a physician and public health expert who has provided leadership for large-scale maternal and child health programs in 41 countries. For more than 30 years, Dr. Huber has held senior positions in international health organizations. He has led innovations that have significantly increased contraceptive prevalence in varied settings, including successful community-based programs in Bangladesh and Afghanistan that served as models for national scale-up of family planning services.

Dr. Huber served on the expert international committees for the World Health Organization and the International Planned Parenthood Federation that produced the Global Handbook for Family Planning Providers and newly developed guidelines for community health workers. As co-chair of the Family Planning/Reproductive Health working group of Christian Connections for International Health, he works closely with leaders in Christian health associations and Islamic health networks in Africa. He also served as the HIV/AIDS advisor to the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa from 2002-2004. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Preventing Medicine

International Islamic Centre For Population Studies and Research, Al Azhar University

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Ragaa A. Ragab is a Professor of reproductive health at the International Islamic Centre for Population Studies and Research, Al-Azhar University. He is a graduate from Al-Azhar University, one of the oldest and prestigious Islamic University) where they teach Islamic studies and medical science side by side. He is holding three master degrees (OB/GYN, population and bioethics) and a Ph.D, reproductive health. He helped in developing strategies and programs that aim at improving child health, eradication of violence against women and children, reduction of maternal mortality, tackling gender-based violence and improving reproductive health in some of the developing countries, mainly in Africa and Arab region.  He worked much in countries in crisis like Somalia, Darfur camps in Eastern Chad, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan.  He was a member of the advisory committee for African Network for Social Accountability (ANSA) (2006-2010) for North Africa, a member of Africa Faith Based Organization, Durban, South Africa and, currently, the Vice Chairman of Faith to Action Network.

He was awarded several awards: The National High Academy of Scientific Research Family Planning Award, 2004 and a medal of excellence from Al-Azhar University, 2008. Egyptian medical syndicate awarded him its annual award for his work in the area of promoting the health of women in 2006. UNICEF report, 2002, put him as one of the leaders of health for his work in Somalia for eradication of female genital cutting (page 19). He has extensive record of research and books addressing family planning, reproductive health and gender issues from faith perspectives.  He was nominated to be the Chairman of the “Family Culture Committee” of the “Egyptian Family House” starting from January 2017. He is an ex-member of the reference group of FP2020 t. The Reference Group sets the overall strategic direction for FP2020 and drives coordination between the partnership’s stakeholders