NCD Child Welcomes New Chair and Chair-Elect

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NCD Child would like to welcome Dr. Alafia Samuels, Jamaica, as its new Chair, serving a two-year term.

About Alafia
Alafia is the retired Director of the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre at the University of West Indies (UWI) in Barbados and is currently Honorary Professor at the Caribbean Institute for Health Research, UWI, Jamaica. She is a member of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Noncommunicable Diseases (STAG NCD), PAHO TAG for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the Caribbean, Co-Chair of the World Obesity Foundation Policy and Prevention committee, a Commissioner on the Lancet One Health Commission, and an advisor to the Healthy Caribbean Coalition. Her research interests include policy and practice in NCD prevention and control, and clinical quality of care, planning and evaluation of NCD programs and she has over 50 peer reviewed publications.

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NCD Child would also like welcome Hanin Odeh, Jordan, as its new Chair-Elect.

About Hanin
Hanin is an international development consultant and a public health advocate. She has 16+ years of experience leading programs in education, health, youth social and economic empowerment. She was the former Director General of Royal Health Awareness Society, focusing on promoting wellbeing behaviours and healthy lifestyles among children, youth and communities at large. Within RHAS, Hanin has expanded the reach of the organization’s programs in school health, position the organization on the global health map through various representations in high level meetings, and led several advocacy and communications work related to NCDs and humanitarian response both locally and regionally, in collaboration with Governmental, UN and multinational partners. She is a founding member of the Jordanian, as well as the EMRO, NCD Alliances and is a member of the World Health Federation’s Tobacco Expert Group.  

Thank you to Dr. Marie Hauerslev for her leadership as Chair over the past two years. Dr. Hauerslev will continue to serve on NCD Child’s Executive Committee as ‘Past Chair’ and provide strategic guidance and direction. 

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