APCA Personnel

Eve is a Sir Halley Stewart palliative care training fellow and has a background in Economics with postgraduate training in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Palliative Care Policy and Rehabilitation. Eve holds a bachelors degree in Economics from Makerere University, an Msc in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Makerere University, and an Msc in Palliative Care Policy and Rehabilitation from King's College London. 

Eve has over ten years experience in health related research and her interests are in the following areas: epidemiology, health economics, evaluation of palliative care services, end of life care issues, quality of life and outcome measurements, pain and other symptoms pertaining to HIV and cancer.

Patricia joined APCA in 2007 as the Admin Officer and Personal Assistant to the Executive Director, providing admin and logistical support for the organization, a portfolio she held until 2020, when she was promoted to Administration Manager & Personal Assistant to the Executive Director. She also manages the human resource, procurement, board liaison, membership, and the Executive Director’s office. 

Patricia holds a Masters’ degree in Public Administration from Uganda Management Institute, a first degree in Public Administration and Management, and a diploma in Marketing. She is a member of the Human Resource Managers’ Association of Uganda. Patricia is passionate about her work which cuts across all departments within APCA. She values excellence, respect, professionalism, integrity and commitment. She is an enthusiastic learner and believes that with the changing global landscape there is always something new to learn to fit in and is therefore very keen on developing her skills.

Mable is an insightful financial professional with over a decade of experience in financial accounting, budgeting, forecasting and analysis. She is self-driven, results oriented with strong work ethic and commitment to integrity.

Mable joined APCA as a Finance Assistant in 2013. Her commitment to learning and attention to detail have seen her rise through the ranks.

She holds an MBA from Makerere University and is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU)

Francis has over 20 years’ experience working for businesses, government and non-government organisations that depended heavily on ICT in ascending roles that span operational, tactical and strategic positions in information and communication technology. Francis has great experience in aligning ICT with the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Francis started his career as IT support engineer for Mantrac Uganda, a large Caterpillar dealer in several African countries with centralised main transactional servers where connectivity was core for the business operations done online. This is an operations role that ensures IT supports the business. After 3 years, he moved on to Infectious Diseases Institute starting as IT Specialist then becoming IT Manager for the centre of excellence Institute of Makerere University. The Institute had several remote sites and partnerships and the role was to ensure timely and secure access to the patient and research information for authorised users across different organisations and sites. After 3 years, Francis moved to Uganda AIDS commission, a government organisation that provides the overall coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the HIV/AIDS related activities in the country in order to harmonize response to HIV/AIDS as ICT consultant. This role involved setting systems including server installations from scratch, standard operating procedures and network guidelines. Francis is currently the ICT manager for African Palliative Care Association since 2009.

Francis has also been involved in the design and setting up information and communication systems for Uganda Cancer Institute, Lawsam Chemicals, Le Memorial Medical Services, Social Protection of Ministry of Gender, African Queen, Electricity Regulatory Authority and Tausi Décor.

He is a holder of a Bachelor of Science degree from Barkatullah University, Madhya Pradesh in India and a Master of Science in Information Technology degree from Makerere University.

Wedzerai Chiyoka has more than 20 years working in the development sector and has held various positions in program management, marketing communications & public relations, material development and editing. Prior to joining the NGO sector, she worked in the private sector in customer care and product promotion positions.

She is a solid writer and communicator with previous experience in health education, SRHR, hospice and palliative care, gender mainstreaming and livelihoods programmes.

She has worked in East and Southern Africa for national and international development agencies, as well as local and national government departments in roles that include brand development & marketing, communications strategies to raise organizational profiles, partnership development and stakeholder communications/engagement, online campaigns for specific projects and resource mobilisation, exhibitions, and material development.  She is also competent in program documentation including dissemination to and mobilisation of diverse target groups through various media including electronic newsletters, blogs, and websites. She is well-versed in using social media platforms to segment, target and engage different audiences. She has also led development of new projects & packaging, and has worked with private sector in corporate social investment programmes to optimise company visibility, credibility and market share.

Prior to joining APCA, Wedzerai worked for Hands at Work in Africa (joint USAID/FHI360 programme), Voluntary Service Overseas, Pact Zimbabwe, and as an independent consultant. Her countries of experience include Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

She holds a BA in English and Communication Studies and an MSc in Strategic Management.

Imelda Imelda holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot Watt University, UK and a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance Major) from The University of Nairobi. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA-Kenya), and has also successfully completed her CFA Level 1. 

Imelda has over ten years experience in the Investments and Finance Ecosystem, having worked in Investment Banking, with different corporates and INGOs, including the Venture Capital and Private Equity space, structuring innovative finance solutions, raising non-dilutive capital, Impact and Catalytic capital finance, and is an active angel investor in Africa's early-stage capital ecosystem. 

She joined APCA in 2022, with her primary role being engaging the private and corporate sector to unlock funding and mutually beneficial partnerships, to further APCA's mission, ensure the sustainability of palliative care as a discipline, and the approach of comprehensive chronic care in Africa. 

Dr. Nuhamin Tekle Gebre is a physician and researcher specializing in family medicine, clinical epidemiology, and palliative care, with extensive experience in strengthening health systems and integrating palliative care into primary health services in low- and middle-income settings. She is currently a PhD fellow in Palliative Care Research at King’s College London and has served in academic, clinical, and policy leadership roles at Addis Ababa University and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, where she contributed to national palliative care guidelines, training programs, and strategic planning initiatives. Her work spans clinical practice, curriculum development, and global collaborations with leading institutions and international health organizations.

Her research focuses on integrating palliative care into primary health care, digital health innovations for home-based care, cancer care in humanitarian settings, and culturally grounded community-based care models. She has collaborated with global partners including WHO, international universities, and palliative care networks to advance evidence-based, equitable, and sustainable models of care. Dr. Gebre is committed to improving access to quality palliative and primary care, strengthening health workforce capacity, and advancing policy and practice to reduce suffering and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

I am a Pharmacist with over 25 years’ experience and specializing in both the Quality Control and Quality Assurance of Pharmaceuticals and Palliative care. My expertise includes vast experience working in medicines regulation, Palliative care, manufacturing, Medicines Policy reviews/development, project management & implementation and GMP Inspections. 
I have worked with diverse National and Multinational organizations locally and overseas mainly in Pharmaceutical Systems strengthening, manufacturing and supply chain management. In Namibia as a senior Technical advisor with MSH, I lead the review of the Namibia Medicines Policy (NMP) and its accompanying master plan from inception to finalization which gave strategic direction to the Ministry of Health and Social Services in developing sustainable mitigation measures for managing the TB & HIV burden.  My line of work has also included providing Technical Assistance in improving access to Palliative Care Medicines in several African Countries including Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, DRC and Mozambique.
In addition to the current work I’m doing at the National Medical Stores in Uganda (Chief Quality Control Officer), I privately undertake consultancy engagements with different entities in my areas of expertise.
I’m Self-driven, with a very open and innovative mind geared towards problem solving and providing solutions to challenges.

Salim joined APCA in 2020 and his role at APCA involves supporting the finance and admin managers in their roles, i.e., from payments and reconciliations in finance department, to procurements and coordination in the administration department.

Salim’s background is in finance. He is currently working on completing his CPA course to become a fully-fledged accountant as it is his major professional goal. His other goal is true economic independence.

Salim values mutual respect and empathy as it allows you to understand others and act accordingly; and also firmly believes that our actions define who we are and where we are going. He is particularly proud to be working with APCA because palliative care not only improves the quality of life of patients and their families, reducing mental and physical distress and discomfort, but it also helps patients live longer and happier lives.

David joined APCA in 2020 with his primary responsibility being the management and coordination of the True Colours Trust Small Grants Project right from the onset of the application process until end of project implementation and reporting.

He also coordinates the Scholarship project for palliative care training for nurses and social workers for nurses and social workers in Africa that is supported by Global Partners in Care. David likes contributing to social causes whenever he can. He has trained in social sciences, law, project planning and management. Previously David worked with various development organizations involved in service delivery in areas of Karamonja, Eastern Uganda, Western Uganda and Northern Uganda and has been involved in social, health and human rights activities.

Lokiru Samuel joined the communications department at the African Palliative Care Association (APCA) in 2025, bringing over seven years of multidisciplinary experience in strategic communications, journalism, and development programming. At APCA, He is driven by a strong belief that storytelling, particularly narratives of vulnerability, resilience, and care, is a powerful instrument for shaping public discourse and influencing policy in palliative care.

Prior to joining APCA, Lokiru worked across governance, peacebuilding, infrastructure development, and HIV prevention initiatives. He served as a Communications Consultant with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and as a Documentation and Communications Expert with Governance Systems International (GSI), where he led knowledge management processes, developed technical documentation, and strengthened institutional visibility through strategic messaging and reporting.

In the media sector, Lokiru worked as a freelance journalist with Deutsche Welle (DW) and as a broadcast journalist at Akica Radio and Nenah FM. He also served as Radio Producer for the PACK Project, an HIV prevention initiative in the Karamoja region funded by Irish Aid. Across these roles, he produced investigative features, documentaries, and community radio programming designed to inform, educate, and mobilize communities.

In addition to his communications portfolio, Lokiru worked as a Project Officer at Straight Talk Foundation, where he managed programmatic implementation for one year. He also volunteered with Herders of the Horn, operating in the border areas of Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan, contributing to community-focused initiatives in pastoralist settings.

Lokiru holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communications from Cavendish University Uganda, grounding his professional practice in strong theoretical and ethical foundations.

His core competencies include strategic communication planning, policy and advocacy communication, writing and editorial development, content strategy, multimedia storytelling, photojournalism, videography, graphic design, audio production and sound engineering, digital media management, stakeholder engagement, research translation, knowledge management, and impact storytelling.

At APCA, Lokiru leverages strategic storytelling and evidence-informed communication to amplify lived experiences, support evidence-based advocacy, and advance equitable access to quality palliative care across Africa.