Awurabena Quayeba Dadzie, Technical Advisor, FANIS
Awurabena Quayeba Dadzie is currently the Health & Nutrition Technical Manager of World Vision Ghana and a Public Health Specialist with more than 14 years’ experience in Community-Based Health Interventions, Social Behavioural Change Communications, Public Health Research Interventions to inform policy, public health strategies, advocacy and interventions in communicable and non-communicable diseases. She is also the CEO of AwuraA Health Consult International (Health Systems Management, Capacity building management for health workers, Public Health Research Data Collection and Analysis and Public Health Proposal Development and intervention, development of strategic plans, organisational policies and framework services). Over the years she worked with the Kintampo Health Research Center, University of Ghana (School of Public Health and Department of Psychology), Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ghana AIDS Commission and other Community Based Organizations in implementing Public Health Interventions. She has a Master’s in Public Health with specialization in Health Systems Policy and Management and International Course in Health and development at the Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam Netherlands. She has worked on several international and local health projects in communicable and non-communicable diseases comprising of Malaria, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, HIV/AIDS, Maternal and Neonatal Child Health, TB and Nutrition, Family Planning, Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights and NTDs. Throughout her work she has both published and unpublished research papers to her credit.
Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor, Technical Advisor, FANIS
Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor is a population scientist at Ensign Global College, Kpong, Ghana and Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa. She applies theoretical and methodological perspectives from the social sciences to understand population health in her research, focusing on three distinct yet related areas of population health: population shifts, public health nutrition and governance. Sandra is skillful in both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, including transdisciplinary research methods. Her publications have focused on the epidemiology of NCD, hypertension prevalence, treatment and control, health system response to NCDs, and food system governance in Ghana, Eswatini, and South Africa. Sandra was a Queen Elizabeth Scholar through McGill University and the University of Ghana. Her research has been funded by reputable organisations and totals about USD 2.5m. She has mentored and supported the studies of about 20 master's students in Ghana and South Africa
Dr. Mona Ziba Ghadirian , Technical Advisor, FANIS
Dr. Mona Ziba Ghadirian is a researcher and educator with a strong background in global nutrition and community health. As a Queen Elizabeth Scholar, she completed her doctoral research in Ghana, focusing on adolescent nutrition education, community-based filmmaking, and critical nutrition literacy. Her work emphasized participatory approaches to engage communities and inform practical solutions for improving food security and nutrition outcomes for adolescent girls. Mona completed a postdoctoral research at McGill University in the department of Family Medicine, where her research explored adolescent health, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hunger and food insecurity in rural Nigeria. She specializes in the use of participatory research methods, including arts-based techniques like cellphilming and participatory docudrama, which reinforces community-driven research.
Dr. Ghadirian has partnered with local Ghanaian organizations such as the Olinga Foundation and Associates for Change to integrate participatory methods into educational and research initiatives.
Her work aims to bridge research and practice, supporting community-driven strategies to address food insecurity and malnutrition. Dr. Ghadirian is honoured to contribute to the Ghana Food and Nutrition Intelligence System, drawing on her academic training and experience in Ghana to support its mission.
Mr. Mphumuzi Sukati , Technical Advisor, FANIS
Mr. Mphumuzi Sukati is a Public Administrator, Economist, Veterinary Doctor and Scientist.He is currently the Senior Food and Nutrition Officer at FAO Regional Office for Africa (F AORAF) working in 47 countries, in food security, nutrition and resilience. He is also the Acting FAO Representative in Togo. Before joining FAORAF he was the Senior Policy Officer: Economics, Trade and Marketing at the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Dr. Fidelia Dake, Technical Advisor, FANIS
Dr. Fidelia Dake is a Senior Lecturer at the Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana with over ten years of experience in nutrition, physical activity, obesity, and population health research.
She holds degrees in different disciplines including a Doctor of Philosophy (in Population Studies), a Master of Philosophy (in Population Studies), a Master of Science (in Global Ageing and Policy) and a Bachelor of Science (in Nutrition and Food Science). She has also held affiliations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The Pennsylvania State University, University of Cambridge, the UNICEF Office of Research, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Dr. Dake conducts research on issues of national interest and international relevance, independently and collaboratively with researchers in and outside Ghana. One of her current research projects explores using digital communication to build resilience and improve nutrition outcomes among rural poor households in Northern Ghana. The findings of her research have been published in high impact factor peer-reviewed journals such as Public Health Nutrition, BMJ Open and Journal of Urban Health, among others. She is a member of several professional organizations including the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population, the Union of African Population Studies, and the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy.
Roos Verstraeten , Technical Advisor, FANIS
Roos Verstraeten is a Scientific Officer at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in Italy, where she leads research on nutrition within the Food Security Unit. With over 15 years of experience in nutrition projects across low- and middle-income contexts, she specializes in evidence-informed decision-making to improve nutrition and health outcomes. Roos has led international, cross-disciplinary research teams to deliver results in a range of evidence-informed decision-making projects aimed at improving nutrition and health. Her research expertise spans large-scale evidence and methods synthesis, with a focus on generating knowledge on optimal approaches to improving maternal and child nutrition, and informing policy and program development through data analysis. She contributes to IPC AMN methodologies and guidelines through research and technical inputs to strengthen nutrition crisis analysis and response. Roos holds a PhD from Ghent University and previously worked at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), where she led the Transform Nutrition West Africa project.
Prof. Robert Akparibo, Technical Advisor, FANIS
Dr. Robert Akparibo is an Associate Professor in Global Health and Nutrition at the University of Sheffield, UK, and a Registered Nutritionist (Public Health) with the UK Academy for Nutrition. He has received extensive academic training across institutions such as the University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, and the University for Development Studies in Ghana. With significant experience in global health, Dr. Akparibo has worked with organizations like WHO, UNICEF, and FHI, focusing on improving health outcomes in Africa.
His research addresses the double burden of malnutrition, particularly maternal, child, and adolescent nutrition, food security, and food systems in the global south. He is also interested in food environments and their impact on malnutrition and non-communicable diseases. Dr. Akparibo has contributed to key policy developments in Ghana and is involved in global policy work, co-chairing the Global School Meals Coalition and consulting for organizations like WHO and WFP.