News and Updates

Discover the latest developments and updates from the Collaborative.

News & Events

Photo of Rida Khan

Marketing & Operations Coordinator,  IMIx Executive Programs

Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto Mississauga

Photo of Akmal Samsor

, MPH, MBBS

Senior Research Officer/MELA Lead Office of the Vice-President International

Office of the Vice-President International, University of Toronto

Photo of Samuel Dankwa

Communications Associate

Africa Secretariat

Photo of Sandra Owusu

, MSc

Project Assistant & Executive Assistant

Africa Secretariat

Social Media Associate

Africa Secretariat

Photo of Jackson Ilangali

, MD, MPH

Director, Insights & Impact

Africa Secretariat

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Rida Khan

Marketing & Operations Coordinator,  IMIx Executive Programs

Institute for Management & Innovation

Rida Khan is the Marketing & Operations Coordinator at IMIx Executive Programs at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

She leads strategic marketing, program operations, and stakeholder engagement initiatives. Passionate about creating impactful learning experiences, Rida specializes in program management, communications, experiential learning, and community building, working closely with faculty, industry partners, and learners to deliver innovative programs that drive professional and organizational growth.

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Akmal Samsor, MPH, MBBS

Senior Research Officer/MELA Lead Office of the Vice-President International

Office of the Vice-President International

Akmal Samsor is a public health professional, researcher, and MELA specialist with more than 20 years of experience using evidence to strengthen programs, inform policy, and support healthier communities in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

He is a Senior Research Officer at the Office of the Vice-President, International (OVPI), University of Toronto, and serves as the MELA Lead for the Africa Health Collaborative (AHC), where he supports monitoring, evaluation, learning, and adaptation efforts to strengthen primary healthcare systems across Africa. His work spans infectious diseases, maternal and child health, gender-based violence, WASH, and capacity building, developed through collaboration with governments, NGOs, and UN agencies. Akmal is passionate about turning data into practical insight, helping partners learn, adapt, and build more equitable and responsive health systems.

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Samuel Dankwa Headshot

Samuel Dankwa

Communications Associate

Africa Secretariat

Samuel Dankwa is a Communications Associate at the Africa Health Collaborative Secretariat.

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Sandra Owusu, MSc

Project Assistant & Executive Assistant

Africa Secretariat

Sandra Owusu serves as a Project Assistant with the Africa Health Collaborative, where she supports finance and administrative operations and provides strategic support as Executive Assistant to Dr. Penina Lam, Head of the AHC Secretariat.

Based in Accra, Sandra plays a pivotal role in streamlining processes and ensuring operational efficiency across the organization.

Prior to joining the Collaborative, she worked as a Programs Associate on Ghana Trade and Investment Activity, a USAID-funded initiative, where she supported C-suite executives and gained hands-on experience in grant management and compliance. Her expertise lies in optimizing workflows, enhancing organizational effectiveness, and driving impactful development programs.

Sandra holds an MSc in Development Finance. She is deeply passionate about project and program management, with a strong commitment to designing and implementing effective systems that foster real and sustainable development.

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Emmanuella Attuquaye

Social Media Associate

Africa Secretariat

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Jackson Ilangali, MD, MPH

Director, Insights & Impact

Africa Secretariat

Dr. Jackson M. Ilangali is the Director of Insights & Impact at the Africa Health Collaborative (AHC), where he leads the Collaborative’s work on Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Adaptation (MELA), evidence use, Communications, and strategic learning across a network of leading African universities and partners.

A physician by training and public health practitioner by passion, Jackson is driven by a simple question: How can evidence help people make better decisions? His work sits at the intersection of health systems strengthening, quality improvement, implementation science, and organizational learning, with a particular interest in transforming data from a reporting requirement into a catalyst for learning, adaptation, and lasting impact.

Over the past decade, he has worked across multiple African countries, supporting governments, universities, donors, and international organizations to strengthen health systems, improve quality of care, and build learning cultures that enable sustainable impact. His experience spans multi-country programme leadership, quality improvement, MELA system design, and strategic partnerships.

Jackson holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and a Master’s in Public Health (Implementation Science) from the University of Manchester. He is an emerging thought leader in MELA, quality improvement, and evidence-informed decision-making, and enjoys contributing to conversations on how learning can drive stronger health systems across Africa.