COVID-19 Conversations with DR. SOLOMON ZEWDU AND DR. ZAMEER BREY

This week we speak to Dr. Solomon Zewdu who is the Deputy Director for the African office of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he shapes continental health nutrition, disease eradication, and development investments. Prior to moving to the Continental platform, he served as a deputy director in Ethiopia. He has created significant opportunities with system based investments built on concurrently identifying and aligning the Foundation’s priorities with the Ethiopians’ health system transformation plan and the donor community. Given his emergency planning and response background, Dr.Zewdu also serves as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation COVID-19 coordinator for the African continent to inform the shaping of criticalCOVID-19 and related investments on the continent.

We’re also joined by Dr. Zameer Brey, who has worked in senior leadership positions where his core role as a change agent and turn around specialist. Currently, he is the TV program lead in South Africa for the Bill and MelindaGates Foundation, part of the global health team. He has previously served as the acting GeneralManager of the SouthAfrican Medical Association process analyst for the Western Cape Department of Health as an internal consultant to the Faculty of Health scientists’ deanery at UCT.Dr. Zameer Brey has been involved in consulting with the National Department of Health in higher education ministries. His expertise centers on improving efficiency, quality and leveraging.