Dr Francisco Songane, Director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health
Francisco F. Songane, a former Minister of Health from Mozambique recognized both nationally and internationally for innovation and leadership, took office as the new Director of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in February 2006.
Dr Songane’s public health career has involved extensive work at sub-national, national and international levels. Trained in Mozambique, the United States and England, he was a district medical director and teacher, as well as the director of the country’s second-largest hospital. He served as the Minister of Health of Mozambique from 2000-2004.
As Minister of Health of Mozambique, Dr Songane is credited for using a partnership approach for averting the outbreak of disease during the floods of 2000 and 2001, as well as for the conclusion and operational launch of the country’s health-sector strategy. He worked to introduce innovative interventions into the Mozambican health system, including a Hepatitis B vaccine, trials on a candidate malaria vaccine and use of a more effective cholera vaccine, as well as introducing antiretroviral therapy into the public system --an example that has been shared globally.
Dr Songane’s extensive involvement with the international community has included serving as Executive Committee Member and Board Member of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. He was also a member of Task Force 4 of the UN Millennium Project (2002-2004), analyzing the practicalities of achieving the goals related to maternal and child health.
Dr Songane trained as a medical doctor and obstetrician/gynaecologist at the University of Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique as well as at St. James University Hospital in Leeds, England. Dr. Songane has a Master of Public Health from Boston University and Master of Science in Financial Economics from the University of London, England. Dr. Songane is married and has three children.
The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health is made up of a broad constituency of more than 80 members representing partner countries, UN and multilateral agencies, nongovernmental organizations, health professional associations, bilateral donors and foundations, and academic and research institutions. The Partnership encourages unified approaches and supports country-led efforts to accelerate universal coverage of essential interventions for maternal, newborn and child.
For more information or to request an interview with Dr. Songane, please contact:
Tunga Namjilsuren
Communications Officer
Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health
Secretariat: C/O World Health Organization
1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
+41 22 791 4738
email: toupinj@who.int