Dr. Catherine Karekezi - Board Member OCA

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Dr. Catherine Karekezi is the OCA Senior Associate for Health and Wellness. She is a lady of few words....short on talk and long on action: She is results oriented - with an enviable work ethic. Catherine joins the “OCA Dream Team” with a proven track record spanning almost three decades of relevant experience. She is a pharmacist by profession with PhD specialisation in Medicinal Chemistry from Loughborough University of Technology, UK, where she did both her MSc. degree and Ph.D. In addition to being the OCA Senior Associate for Health and Wellness, she holds key positions in the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) space: as Technical Advisor Non-communicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya, Member of Board and Research Committee East African Non-communicable Diseases Alliance and a founder Director and current Medical Director of Kenya Diabetes Management and Information Centre.

Additionally, Catherine serves as a Member of the Steering Group Community of Practice (CoP) for the Meaningful Involvement of People Living with NCDs hosted by the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the prevention and control of NCDs (WHO GCM/NCDs) and NCD Child Task Force on Essential Medicines. She contributes to NCD prevention, access to treatment and care, health system strengthening, research, advocacy and policy development in the region. Catherine has previous experience in academia and research at: Rhodes University (South Arica), University of Nairobi, USIU Africa and Kenya Medical Research Institute. She gained experience in drug regulation as a Member Analytical Expert Committee of the Medicines Control Council, South Africa; Member Veterinary Committee for Drug Registration, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Ministry of Health, Kenya; and Pharmaceutical Analyst, National Quality Control Laboratory, Kenya.

Dr. Karekezi is a mentor and a role model who is passionate and dedicated to working with like-minded people and teams whose focus is; the prevention and health promotional aspects of the “continuum of care” - from prevention, treatment and management, to palliative care, of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), with a focus on promoting and advocating for, evidence based nutritional and dietary interventional solutions to prevention and management of NCDs. As OCA’s Senior Associate for Health and Wellness, she provides oversight in the overall leadership and management of OCA in liaison with Senior Management and the OCA Board of Directors. She deputises the CEO, especially in matters that require high level input in the conceptualisation, design, development and implementation of projects and programs in alignment with the OCA Vision and Mission.