Armindo Tonela MD MHSc
Maputo
Summary
Accomplished public health leader and medical doctor with over 19 years of experience managing complex health programs across Mozambique, including in remote and underserved settings. He holds a certificate in Public Health and a Master degree of Science in Health. His experience includes, but is not limited to clinical practice, management and implementation of health promotion and disease prevention activities at primary health care level and management of preventative, curative and public health services at provincial level. He has extensive experience in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating of health services as well as significant experience working with multilateral and bilateral partners that have supported the health sector in Mozambique. He has a deep knowledge of the Mozambican Health care system as he worked in all levels of it starting from sub national to National level. For more than 10 years he was at the forefront of the management of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. He has a deep experience in the implementation and management of various prevention and control strategies for various diseases that constitute public health problems in Mozambique. For over past 9 years, his focus has been in Youth Health (Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), HIV/AIDS, including Youth empowerment initiatives). He has demonstrated success in building strategic partnerships with government of Mozambique, NGOs, and international agencies working on health and well-being of the adolescent and youth population including Adolescent Girl and Young Women (AGYW).
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER
U.S. Peace Corps - Mozambique
01.2016 - Current
- Leads national health initiatives for Volunteers with a strong emphasis on youth empowerment, SRHR advocacy, and grassroots community engagement aligned with National Strategy for School Health and Adolescent and Youth.
- Facilitates workshops and training for community actors focused on gender equality, HIV prevention, and adolescent health rights.
- Conducts field visits to support local implementation and gather community feedback for continuous improvement.
- Represents Peace Corps in national technical working groups on youth health and SRHR, advocating for community perspectives.
- Leads the design, execution, and management of health programs for health Volunteers, emphasizing epidemic response in collaboration with government entities, international partners, and community stakeholders.
- Serves as the primary technical and strategic advisor for epidemic control initiatives, ensuring program objectives align with national health priorities and international standards.
- Provides high-level program oversight, development of project implementation plan, annual workplanning, technical reporting, ensuring project implementation meets the host country needs and priorities consistent with Peace Corps programming principles.
- Leads project review process and recommends appropriate actions to Director for Programming and Training and Country Director about continuation, completion, extension, or closure of existing projects.
- Represents the Peace Corps in SRHR and Youth Health technical working groups alongside the Ministry of Health and US Government agencies, contributing expertise on SRHR, adolescent health, and HIV prevention.
- Facilitates strategic partnerships with key stakeholders to enhance multi-sectoral coordination for HIV epidemic response and SRH interventions.
- Engages with high-level Ministry of Health and Education officials for Memorandum of Understanding development and renewal process.
PROVINCIAL HEALTH DIRECTOR
Ministry of Health - Zambezia & Nampula Provinces
01.2007 - 12.2015
- Led and managed health programs and interventions (health promotion, disease prevention, curative, and rehabilitative) in Zambezia and Nampula provinces, including but not limited for SRH, Maternal-Child Health HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, and Neonatal and Maternal and Child Health.
- Managed a workforce of 5,000+ staff and administered a $10M annual budget portfolio, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and program sustainability.
- Engaged with local stakeholders, ensuring grassroots participation in the implementation of the Youth Health Initiatives, working closely with youth groups, community leaders, and schools to foster ownership, accountability, and sustainability of program outcomes.
- Strengthened coordination between health facilities, youth networks, and local leaders to improve service accessibility and responsiveness.
- Provided high-level advisory services to the Provincial Government, ensuring strategic health decisions aligned with public health priorities.
- Led SRH interventions, ensuring timely intervention strategies for disease prevention and outbreak response at the provincial level.
- Collaborated with NGOs, multilateral partners, and government agencies to implement evidence-based disease mitigation programs targeting vulnerable communities.
- Spearheaded efforts in supply chain logistics, overseeing the distribution of medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies to strengthen epidemic response efforts.
- Directed planning, monitoring, and evaluation of provincial health programs, ensuring quarterly performance assessments and strategic adjustments.
- Designed and executed socio-economic health sector plans, guiding the health promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health services to improve the health and wellbeing of local population.
- Ensured compliance with national and international health legislation, integrating public health priorities into provincial action planning.
- Advocated for policy improvements and funding allocations, enhancing epidemic preparedness efforts in under-resourced areas.
- Oversaw budget execution and financial oversight, ensuring resource efficiency and sustainability of health programs.
- Directed human resource allocation, ensuring optimal staffing to meet public health demands.
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER - ZAMBEZIA PROVINCE
Ministry of Health - Mozambique
01.2005 - 12.2007
- Spearheaded community engagement initiatives, ensuring widespread support and participation in disease prevention strategies.
- Led public health programs, oversaw disease control strategies for SRH, HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, Leprosy, Neonatal Maternal and Child health, and neglected tropical diseases.
- Supervised 23 Chiefs District Medical Officers, ensuring effective health program implementation, monitoring, and evaluation at the district level including for SRHR.
- Collaborated with community stakeholders to roll out reproductive health programs across districts.
- Led sensitization efforts targeting adolescents and caregivers, encouraging uptake of SRHR services.
- Developed annual and quarterly health sector plans, guiding the preventive, curative, and rehabilitative healthcare services to meet provincial health outcome targets.
- Provided high-level advisory to the Provincial Government on health-related issues, ensuring provincial health policies aligned with national disease control guidelines.
- Coordinated disease surveillance and epidemic response across the province, ensuring effective prevention and intervention strategies.
- Led the planning, reporting, and monitoring of provincial health programs, ensuring compliance with national and international health policy and regulations.
- Established partnerships with NGOs, multilateral agencies, and government entities, driving integrated strategies for epidemic control and prevention.
- Oversaw resource management, ensuring optimal utilization of medical supplies, medicines, and vaccines to prevent stock shortages and ensuring sustainability and efficiency in epidemic preparedness programs.
- Performed emergency clinical activities.
DISTRICT CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER - MILANGE DISTRICT
Ministry of Health - Mozambique
01.2002 - 12.2005
- Facilitated district-level SRHR programs through schools, youth groups, and health facilities.
- Delivered training on sexual health and communication to educators and peer facilitators.
- Performed clinical activities and led clinical management at local hospital.
- Led the management and execution of the Primary Health Care programs at district level such as preventative medicine, Neonatal, Maternal and Child Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Expanded Program of Immunization, Nutrition, Oral health, School health, and communicable disease like Malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and leprosy as well as Tropical Neglected Diseases etc.
- Advocated for youth participation in health planning and decision-making at the local level.
- Guided the development, execution and monitoring of annual and quarterly District health plans and ensured that the expected health outcome targets are met.
- Supervised and provided ongoing technical support to 10+ health facilities across the district.
- Provided technical oversight and advisory to District Government on health-related issues, ensuring capacity strengthening in epidemic preparedness and response and disease management.
Education
Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) - Epidemiology, Maternal & Child Health, Environmental Health, Community Health Nursing
University of the Ryukyus
01.2013
Public Health Certificate - SRHR, Health Program Evaluation, Biostatistics, Gender & Social Determinants of Health
Yonsei University
01.2012
Medical Doctor (MD) - Community Health, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Epidemiology
Eduardo Mondlane University
01.2001
Languages
Fluent, Fluent, Fluent, Intermediate, Intermediate, Intermediate
References
- Ellen R. Eiseman, Former Country Director - U.S. Peace Corps Mozambique, +1 (310) 963-9121, ellenroseeiseman@yahoo.com
- Dr. Alexandre Jaime Manguele, General Director - Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Maputo, +258 82/84 3033600, alexandrejaime@tropical.co.mz
Phone
+258, 843214927
Timeline
HEALTH PROGRAM MANAGER
U.S. Peace Corps - Mozambique
01.2016 - Current
PROVINCIAL HEALTH DIRECTOR
Ministry of Health - Zambezia & Nampula Provinces
01.2007 - 12.2015
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER - ZAMBEZIA PROVINCE
Ministry of Health - Mozambique
01.2005 - 12.2007
DISTRICT CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER - MILANGE DISTRICT
Ministry of Health - Mozambique
01.2002 - 12.2005
Master of Health Sciences (MHSc) - Epidemiology, Maternal & Child Health, Environmental Health, Community Health Nursing
University of the Ryukyus
Public Health Certificate - SRHR, Health Program Evaluation, Biostatistics, Gender & Social Determinants of Health
Yonsei University
Medical Doctor (MD) - Community Health, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Epidemiology
Eduardo Mondlane University