Jacqueline Kalimunda
Dar es Salaam
Summary
Public Health Specialist with 16 years of experience in public health programming and project management. Proven expertise in designing and evaluating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and reproductive health programs aligned with global and national priorities. Demonstrated ability to manage integrated health programs exceeding $50 million annually across diverse regions. Strong skills in epidemiological research, critical thinking, and stakeholder collaboration to enhance public health outcomes.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Public Health Specialist - HIV Care and Treatment
USAID-Tanzania
Dar es Salaam
05.2013 - 08.2025
- I was responsible for a large and complex portfolio of integrated health activities, valued at around $50 million annually spanning 3 technical programs (HIV, Tuberculosis and Family Planning) and 5 partner organizations.
- Institutionalized strategic planning and performance management processes, leading to a 25% increase in key health service coverage (e.g., HIV, Tuberculosis, Family Planning, Sexual and reproductive services ) and improved cross-sector collaboration. Guided the team to consistently meet donor targets and utilize 99% of funds annually
- Advocated for health priorities ( Introduction of HIV Viral Load testing, HIV treatment for pregnant women, mult month ARV drug dispensing etc) and policies and represented the USAID in high-level forums, building partnerships with government, donors, and private sector to advance our mission
- Implemented strategies to ensure program sustainability, including managing implementation of 3 local partners by building their capacity. Securing government buy-in – an approach and stakeholder ownership by providing and approve funds to 100 Local Government Authorities, 30 Faith Based hospitals and 10 Civil Society Organizations
- Oversaw the provision of HIV testing services to a total of more than 10,000 clients over the life of 9 years of the project, across 11 regions of Tanzania, achieving a 25% increase in HIV testing uptake.
- Ensure the provision of lifesaving HIV care and treatment services to more than 450,000 people living with HIV in 11 regions of Tanzania.
- Oversaw program efforts in reduction of the transition rate of HIV infection from mother to child from 8% to 2% in 11 regions
- Supported improvement of laboratory services for HIV Viral Load (HVL) testing leading to an increase in HVL coverage from 22% in 2018 to 95% in 2024 overall in the project-supported regions.
- Spearhead improvement of the the project’s efforts of enhancing ART uptake and retention, which resulted into a significant improvement in viral load (VL) suppression, particularly among pediatric ART clients, from 68% in 2018 to 92% in 2025. For adult ART clients, VL suppression went from 85% in 2028 to 98% in 2025
- Coordination accreditation of 22 laboratories using Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) checklist and all were accredited by 2025
- TB notification doubled from 11,026 cases in 2017 to more than 50,000 cases in 2024, while TPT completion more than quadrupled during the same period.
- Oversaw the project performance which increased number of pediatric TB cases, reaching 19% of all TB cases identified in 2024, which is above the national performance of 13% and the national target of 15%.
- Coordinated decentralization of MDR-TB services to 48 sites, including diagnosis, treatment, transportation of patients, and monthly clinical monitoring tests.
- Improved Family Planning services uptake among youth and adolescents in all project supported regions. Overall, 2,562,057 youths were reached with various FP methods throughout the 9 year of program performance
- Increased in the number of Youth Friendly Service Sites at Care and Treatment Clinics and Reproductive and Child Health sites from 24 site in 2016 to 200 sites in 2024, which enables adolescents living with HIV and those who are HIV negative to access ART services along with SRH/FP services
- Strengthened connections between households and facilities through preventative, curative, and health promotion activities by recruitment, training, and mentorship of more than 6,000 community volunteers that supported the implementation of integrated HIV, gender, TB, and FP at the community-level in 11 regions.
- Supported establishment of community-facility linkages and referral systems in 90 councils that greatly facilitated continuum of care among clients for the various services.
- “Managed the end-to-end execution of USAID Quality Management plan by leading completion of more than 500 Site Improvement Monitoring assessments and remedial from 2017 to 2019 across 11 regions, delivering all outputs on time and 5% under budget. Achieved all donor targets, resulting in a project extension for two more years due to excellent performance.
- Spearhead introduction and implementation of Quality Improvement activities in 11 regions by providing Technical Assistance to partner organizations and the Council and Regional Health Management Teams to adopt Quality Improvement packages, resulting in ongoing improvement of the performance in various clinical indicators.
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation
Dar Es Salaam
08.2011 - 05.2013
- Introduced Quality Improvement package for Children which increased the HIV service uptake from 40% t0 80% in 2012/2013 particularly CD4 and ART
- Coordinated Quality Improvement training to more than 100 health care providers and supportive supervision and mentorship training to
- Coordinated supportive supervision and mentorship program to 459 health facilities in the project-supported councils that helped identify and address several challenges, which in turn led to improved facilities’ service provision.
- Established the data analysis week which increased donor target performance by 20
- Submitted 5 abstracts to international conferences and 2 were accepted for oral presentation in IAS 2012
- Coordinated 20 experience sharing sessions to foster learning environment across the six regions
- Coordinated implementation of 4 National Quality Improvement Forum and two national HIV/AIDS pediatric conferences.
- Lead a team of 6 technical experts who provided quality improvement technical assistance to the facilities in six regions
Program Officer- HIV Care and Treatment
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation
Kilimanjaro
08.2008 - 07.2010
- Introduced HIV Care and Treatment services across 80 health facilities in Kilimanjaro region.
- Trained over 120 Health Care Providers on HIV Care and Treatment protocols.
- Conducted quarterly Supportive Supervision and mentorship at 80 health facilities.
- Monitored establishment of Child Centered Family Care Clinic at KCMC and facilitated family outreach clinics in Kilimanjaro and Arusha.
- Supported development of children corners in 14 high-volume Care and Treatment clinics for pediatric-friendly environments.
- Initiated monthly clinics and psychosocial support services for children and adolescents living with HIV in 14 clinics.
- Spearheaded first-ever camp for children and adolescents living with HIV, accommodating 45 participants for five days in Bagamoyo.
Youth Coordinator
Aga Khan Foundation
Zanzibar
01.2007 - 08.2008
- Coordinated, 3 trainings for 15 youth, 25 schoolteachers, and 50 community health committee on different topics such as life skills, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, drug and substance abuse and environmental health.
- Developed community health programme and replication strategies. Piloted the strategies in 4 shehia
- Conducted 4 youth forums on different topics and two sports events in commemoration of different health days including world Aids Day.
Education
Master’s degree - public health (International)
Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds
United Kingdom01.2011
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Health and Social Sciences
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania01.2006
Skills
- Technical skills
Public health expertise
Project management
Financial management
Technical writing
Information technology
- Soft skills
Leadership and organizational skills
Critical thinking and analysis
Communication and interpersonal skills
Awards
- Certificate of outstanding performance in Public Health, Ministry of Science Technology and Higher Education, 2004
- Second winner in Public Health Topics Presentations competition, Muhimbili College of Health science, 2006
- Eagle Award for spearheading the improvement of the quality of services of USAID – supported programs, 2014
- Mission Honor Award for outstanding leadership in both Washington DC and Tanzania developing an implementation of plan for the site improvement monitoring systems (SIMS), 2015
- Mission Honor Award for leadership and initiative to make sure USAID PEPFAR clinical Implementing partners understand and align to PEPFAR deadlines and reporting requirements, 2015
- Mission Honor Award for her outstanding leadership in technical design of the USAID mission contract for the Site Improvement Monitoring System (SIMS), 2016
- Eagle Award for exhaustive efforts to plan, organize and coordinate the new SBOR Interagency approach for COP 16 program support necessary to achieve a sustained epidemic control in Tanzania, 2016
Publications
- Site Improvement through monitoring system version 4.0, 02/05/19, https://www.pepfar.gov/documents/organization/289633.pdf
- Engaging people living with HIV as lay counselors in HIV Care and Treatment services, 2010, http://www.pedaids.org/Publications/Program-Briefs/TZ-program-brief-engaging-people-with-HIV.aspx
- Using quality Improvement methodologies to improve quality of pediatric HIV care and initiation of ART- Tanzania, 2012, accepted for oral presentation
- Sustaining progress in prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services – how low-volume sites have an impact in Tanzania, 2020, accepted for oral presentation
References
- Robert Stanley , Deputy Health Office Director , USAID, Tanzania +1 202 944-0401, rostanley@usaid.gov
- Lilian Shija, Laboratory Branch Chief, CDC/Tanzania, +255 713 242 344, xka8@cdc.gov, Tanzania
- Sajida Julius Kimambo, Country Director, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, +255 768 282 806, skimambo@pedaid.org, Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam
Languages
Swahili
First Language
English
Upper Intermediate (B2)
B2
Timeline
Public Health Specialist - HIV Care and Treatment
USAID-Tanzania
05.2013 - 08.2025
Quality Improvement Coordinator
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation
08.2011 - 05.2013
Program Officer- HIV Care and Treatment
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation
08.2008 - 07.2010
Youth Coordinator
Aga Khan Foundation
01.2007 - 08.2008
Master’s degree - public health (International)
Nuffield Centre for International Health and Development, University of Leeds
Bachelor of Science - Environmental Health and Social Sciences
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
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