TEAM

Kirsten Häntzschel is currently partaking in the German Development Cooperation Young Professionals Training Programme and supports the IGUHC project. With a background in International Relations and Global Health and a specialization in Disaster Risk Management and Humanitarian Aid, she has a particular interest in designing risk-adaptive health and social security systems. Furthermore, she has expertise in health policy advisory and managing complex political processes.

Kirsten holds a master’s degree in Global Health from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. She enjoys exploring different countries, nature and music in all its variety.

She has completed Bachelors in Sociology and hold a Master’s degree in International Relations along with specialization in Human Rights and International Development from O.P. Jindal Global University. Prior to this, she worked with the project as an intern for 6 months.

Her areas of interest include public policy and sustainable development with an emphasis on social protection in the South-Asian region. In her free time, Tuba likes to indulge in nature photography. To escape the hustle, she relies on good food and long drives.

THE SHORT

Gurjit Kaur an administrative officer by profession with a special interest in handling various administration roles. She works with IGUHC as their managerial/secretarial officer.

THE LONG

She was born and brought up in Delhi. She has more than 15+years’ experience in handling various administration roles. This includes her experience in GIZ India as well. The key strengths that she possesses relevant for her position: Experience in administration, procurement, accounting, logistics and vendor management, Good working knowledge of ICT technologies and computer applications, Quick learner, team player and ability to independently manage responsibilities. She has prepared the design and managed production of communication materials for various GIZ Programme / project (s). Qualities like thoughtfulness, practicability, proactiveness, professionalism, independence, sincerity, and straightforwardness are big assets of her.

Keep Calm and do YOGA, as it is the best way to health and fitness.

Amit brings with him more than 2 decades of progressive and wide ranging experience in various aspects of health systems strengthening, social health insurance, health communications and human resources for health. He has a Masters in Hospital Administration and a M.Phil in Health Systems Management, along with various short courses in quality management, communications, management and capacity building. In addition to the technical expertise, he also has led various GIZ and USAID funded projects in India, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Kyrgyzstan, along with leading OD exercises for major corporate houses in UAE and India.

Before moving on to more strategic and program management functions, he was an avid practitioner and trainer in the areas of Quality Management and Human Resources for Health, being one of the pioneers in Facilitated Quality Improvement and Systemic Quality Improvement approaches of GIZ, and has also served as the spokesperson for the GIZ Regional Sector Network for SE Asia and Eastern Europe. To add to this he also has many research papers in areas of HRH and QM in health.

Being a firm believer and practitioner of Simon Sinek’s Infinite Mindset approach, Amit enjoys learning and updating his people management skills. Apart from work, Amit also enjoys travelling and going for really long drives, and indulging in English fiction once in a while.

Dr Sharmistha Basu is a social demographer with special interest in research and evaluation of health programmes in India. She has over sixteen years of experience on a range of public health issues including social security, health financing, health systems strengthening child marriage, gender and violence against women and children, family planning, sexual and reproductive health, adolescent health and rights. She has led several qualitative and quantitative projects and has experience in the design and implementation of mixed methods research in India. She has experience in analysing large-scale household survey data and working with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for various health evaluations. She has published in international peer reviewed journals. Prior to joining GIZ she was at RTI International-India, New Delhi and Population Council, New Delhi where she was a Co-Principal Investigator (PI) of various large-scale research projects on strengthening gender and health systems.

She has a doctorate degree in Population Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.  Her hobbies include drawing, painting and reading.

Shakeel Ahmad is a visionary and goal-oriented ICT Project Management Professional with over 18 years’ experience in the areas of Strategic Planning, Information and Communication Technology, Development & Implementation of ICT for Health, Rural Development, Agriculture and Education.

Born in Kanpur, he holds Masters in Computer Application. His first stint was with IIT Kanpur as a researcher. Thereafter he worked with several development organisations like GIZ, UNDP, Unicef and OneWorld International.  He has experience in planning, managing & driving successful projects/ programs in the domain of ICT Implementation, including system sizing, estimation, requirement gathering, field implementation and monitoring. He has worked with Central and State Governments on various projects and even received appraisal from the Prime Minister of India in 2008 for successful development and execution of ICT and biometrics based end-to-end solution within MGNREGA program.

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Reema completed her graduation from the University of Kolkata and moved to New Delhi to pursue her career. While working, she completed her Post Graduation in Humans Resources and has been ever since been working for the past 23 years in various private and development sector organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), International Development Research Centre (IDRC), South African High Commission. Reema brings her expertise in finance and project management, budgeting, grants, contracts and office administration. Reema’s favourite pastimes include baking and music.

Pappu P S is a development professional with over 10 years of experience in working with international and government agencies. With a strong foundation in health sector, specifically health financing and HIV/AIDS, his expertise lies in project management, capacity development, and monitoring & evaluation.

Hailing from Cochin, Kerala, Pappu P S contributes to the Capacity Development component of IGUHC Programme. He supports the partner agency, National Health Authority (NHA), in designing CD strategy, conduct capacity assessments, design & develop learning modules, and knowledge management. He also manages trainings under GIZ Professional Programme.

His career in health financing sector started in 2011 through Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. He had proven his expertise in Monitoring & Evaluation while working with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Family Health International (FHI 360) where some of his analytical tools are being used at national level. He holds an advanced certification in Health Financing from WHO, Geneva. Despite having studied Social Work and Sociology, he is passionate about Information Technology and is a strong follower of open source community. He is a family man and loves to travel.

Originally from the capital city, Delhi, Poonam has always been driven by passion to make a difference. She is a graduate with more than 10 years of rich experience and still eager to learn and know more. Her professional experience ranges from consumer delight, administration, event, contracts, etc. which has prepared her well to perform in situations of chaos. Poonam has been with GIZ for over 3 years. Like her city, she is always bustling with infectious energy which keeps the entire team in high spirits. Known for her responsible nature, she is a go-getter and is very supportive when it comes to work and helping other team members. Her hobbies include traveling and exploring new destinations and closely observing different cultures.

She has a diverse background in paediatric nursing, public health and epidemiology, holding a MSc in Epidemiology and MSc in Global Health from Maastricht University.

Following an elective track at the Prasanna School of Public Health at Manipal University, she developed a passion for India and its healthcare system. She is eager to learn and develop further during her internship and is excited to contribute to the project.

In her free time, Alexandra enjoys spending time in nature, exploring new food and playing piano.

Baya is a communications professional with over 15 years of work experience with a demonstrated history of working in the international development industry. She is skilled in Photography, Storytelling, Writing and Editing. Her day job includes drafting communications strategy, executing and achieving the set targets. Her observant nature makes it easy for her to understand and work with people around her.

She has been on the move, living her name which means ‘bird.’ Now amidst the cacophony of big cities, she misses the quiet and simplicity of small towns where she grew up. She hopes to make the younger generation more culturally sensitive to their roots and environment.

An alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal, Baya also has a Masters in International Journalism from University of Westminster, London.

Angad has nearly 10 years of experience of working in Indian healthcare context with expertise and special interest in Public-Private Partnerships in Healthcare. He is part of a team which provides technical assistance to stakeholders in the areas of healthcare financing, social health insurance, health systems strengthening, PPPs in health. He has extensive experience in advising state and central governments, international development organizations, not for profit organizations and policy making agencies. In his previous job as a consultant to World Bank, Uttarakhand Health Systems Development Project, he was instrumental in designing the project by identifying gaps in service delivery, development of project components, developing institutional, implementation arrangements and monitoring mechanism for the project. He also contributed in implementing social health insurance schemes in the state. Prior to this, Angad worked as Senior Research Associate in Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi University on DFID and World Bank funded research project in the areas of Healthcare PPPs He also briefly worked in UK after his Masters.

Angad has undergone numerous World Bank trainings on healthcare PPPs, healthcare financing and health system strengthening. He has also completed WHO’s Advanced Course on Health Financing for Universal Health Coverage for Low and Middle Income Countries, in Barcelona, Spain. Angad holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from University of Sheffield, School of Health and Related Research.