ABOUT

About ActioNCD International

ActioNCD International is an impartial, independent, and neutral organization driven by the desire to save lives from and relieve human suffering due to Noncommunicable or Lifestyle Diseases - the world’s most burdensome but also most preventable group of diseases (Diabetes, Cancer, Heart & Lung Diseases). It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland but has expert consultants based in each of the regions of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa focused on helping countries deliver on the NCD promise – a 33% relative reduction of premature mortality due to NCD by 2030 (33 x 30)! It consists of 4 main areas of support for countries: PH Executive development, Expert consultancy support, Knowledge platform, and innovative country projects.

Public Health Specialist

Dr Temo K Waqanivalu

MBBS (Fiji) MPH (Israel) DipFLM (Aus) FFPH (UK)

Dr. Temo K Waqanivalu is a distinguished global health expert with a 30-year career devoted to bolstering public health initiatives and reinforcing healthcare systems worldwide and is the Lead Expert at ActioNCD International. With specific expertise in Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control (NCD), he has showcased prowess in strategic leadership, health system strengthening, capacity-building, program management, and fostering international collaborations.

Dr. Temo kickstarted his career in the Ministry of Health of the Fiji Islands after graduating from the Fiji School of Medicine in 1994 and progressed through clinical and public health roles, culminating in the prestigious position of National Advisor for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) before transitioning to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2005. He also held a part-time lecturing position at the Fiji School of Medicine, where he shared his expertise.

During his 17-year tenure at WHO, Dr. Temo played a pivotal role in shaping global health. Starting as a Technical Officer, he ascended to Coordinator for NCD and Health Promotion in the Pacific, overseeing WHO's support and providing technical advice across diverse health areas to 22 Pacific Island Countries and territories. Joining WHO Headquarters in 2014, he led the Diet and Physical Activity team and ultimately became the Unit Head for NCD Integrated Service Delivery, showcasing leadership in navigating complex health environments.

Since July 2023 he founded ActioNCD International to utilize and mobilize expertise to further extend strategic and operational support for countries to achieve their respective NCD and Public Health targets.

Public Health Specialist

Dr Pascal Bovet

FMH, MPH

Pascal Bovet is board-certified in both internal medicine and public health (FMH, Switzerland) and holds an MPH degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He currently is a senior consultant at the division of chronic diseases at the University Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Before this, he was the head of the NCD section at the Department of Community Health of the University Medical Center of Lausanne (CHUV) and a professor of public health at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine of the University in Lausanne. He still regularly teaches public health at the University of Lausanne and in other universities. Earlier he was practicing clinical medicine and medical research in various hospitals, including the University Medical Center, and also as chief resident. He has been a consultant for NCDs for the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Seychelles since 1988 until now.

He led there several population-based NCD surveys and contributed to the development of various policies, including national NCD strategy, tobacco control legislation (including being the representative of the country to all the intergovernmental FCTC negotiations), fiscal measures on tobacco and sugary drinks, and guidelines for the management of hypertension and diabetes at the primary health care level.

He currently collaborates with several studies and projects related to NCDs, including with the Swiss Development Agency, Swiss TPH, Imperial College (NCD Risk collaboration), Shandong University in China, Harvard University, University of Rochester (NY) and Loyola University in Chicago. He authored or co-authored >400 publications (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0242-4259). He has been serving as a technical adviser for WHO, Swiss Development Agency and the World Bank around the development or the evaluation of national NCD plans of actions or clinical guidelines in a number of countries. He led, or collaborated with, the organization of several NCD training programs with the Swiss Development Agency, CDC and WHO.

Public Health Specialist

Dr Viliami Puloka

BA MBBS Dip Derm MPH

Viliami Puloka's journey through healthcare leadership commenced in Tonga's serene Vava’u District before spanning pivotal roles at Nuku’alofa's Vaiola Hospital. His tenure as Senior Medical Officer and Acting Chief Medical Officer marked the genesis of his ardor for public health.


In 2001, he embraced a role at the Tonga Ministry of Health, spearheading NCD and Health Promotion initiatives. This ignited a fervor that led him to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in Noumea, where he served as a Physical Activity Adviser before becoming the Head of NCD.

Transitioning to the NZ Health Promotion Forum, Viliami crafted strategies uniting research, policy, and advocacy. His current tenure as a Pacific Advisor at the University of Otago, Wellington, encapsulates his pinnacle.

Here, he shapes policies and nurtures future healthcare leaders across the Pacific, imprinting his legacy on holistic public health approaches.

Viliami Puloka's narrative isn't just a list of roles held; it's a tale of dedication and expertise, weaving a tapestry across diverse landscapes. His unwavering spirit, honed by each position, stands as a guiding light, steering the realms of public health toward a healthier future.

Clinical Specialist

Dr Emmanuel Mensah

MD, MBA

A dedicated and empathetic internal medicine physician whose professional areas of interest and experience include health equity and disparities, quality improvement and health system design, with a focus on global health and developing countries. He works to contribute to the development of healthcare systems to address the burden of various diseases locally and around the world and hopes to use his position to be a role model and educator for others in the field. Dr. Mensah earned his medical degree and Master of Business Administration from Harvard University's Medical and Business Schools and studied mathematics and biology at Dartmouth College. He completed his internal medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA, where he was recognized with the Jeffrey E. Silver Resident Award.

Prior to joining ChristianaCare, Dr. Mensah held internal medicine appointments at numerous hospitals in the Boston area; he has also served in high-level advisory and directorial positions for the African Union/Africa CDC and the Center for Integration Science in Global Health Equity (WHO Collaborating Center). Dr. Mensah is a member of the Society for General Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians. For his outstanding contributions to education, he has been recognized with Harvard Medical School's 2022 Charles McCabe Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching. He is deeply excited to continue his career at ChristianaCare as an internal medicine physician.

Communication Specialist

Professor Everold Hosein

BS, MA, PhD

Dr. Everold Hosein, Senior Communication Advisor-Consultant, World Health Organization (WHO), Communication Consultant with UNICEF/UNFPA/UNWOMEN, and Distinguished Scholar, City University of New York/School of Public Health, is an international communication specialist (born in Trinidad and Tobago) with over 45 years of experience in strategic communication, integrated marketing communication, advocacy and public relations, communication for development (C4D), health education, and IEC (information-education-communication), related to social development issues and behavioural impact/behaviour change. He is the founder of the strategic communication planning methodology called COMBI – Communication for Behavioural Impact, initiated at New York

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