Serafina Mkuwa

Programme Manager, RMNCAH, Amref Health Africa, Tanzania

Dr. Serafina Mkuwa is a public health specialist with Degree of Medicine. She has over 13 years of experience in public health programming and health systems strengthening interventions. Within Amref, she has worked as a National Program Coordinator for Pamoja Tunaweza—an SRHR alliance implemented by nine organizations: five from the South (Tanzania) and four from the North (Netherlands)—and as a Program Manager for Research and Advocacy, where she pioneered establishment of a local Institutional Research Board (IRB) for Amref and was involved in conducting a number of research studies and evidence-based advocacy. Prior to joining Amref Health Africa, Dr. Mkuwa worked with Benjamin Mkapa Foundation (a local NGO) as M&E officer and later on as a Project Manager. Before that she worked at MUHAS as a clinical Research Scientist for HIV Vaccine trials and practiced general medicine at Muhimbili National Hospital while employed by the Ministry of Health. She was elected by female doctor members to serve as a President of the Medical Women Association of Tanzania for seven years, where she led several mass campaigns with teams of female medical doctors for community breast and cervical cancer screening—reaching more than 80,000 women with screening services. Dr. Mkuwa has vast experienced in working with multilateral and bilateral donors, including PEPFAR, GAC (Global Affairs Canada), DFATD, SIDA Sweden, DFID through HDIF, Big Lottery fund, Allen and Ovary, UN –Trust Fund, UNFPA, UNICEF, Amref Northern Offices, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands). At the national and local level she interacts closely with various Ministries, local government authorities and departments, and local agencies and partner organizations.