OUR TEAM
We are an international team working remotely, supporting global health projects and organisations in Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Our multidisciplinary team is passionate about strengthening core pillars of successful interventions. We do so by providing strong evidence, ongoing training and support and by creating motivated teams.
Our experts provide a variety of organisations with technical support, research, monitoring and evaluation advise and development of training curricula.
Candela Iglesias
Founder and Director
Read her interview for the LSHTM Alumni blog here
List of publications (pdf)
Candela’s aspiration is to do her part to ensure good health and wellbeing for all, especially the most vulnerable. She is passionate about using evidence to improve programmes in humanitarian and development settings. For years, she has worked supporting international and local actors to strengthen their results by using interventions that are proven to work, strengthening their data and reinforcing leadership and teambuilding.
She holds an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and did her PhD research and Masters in Microbiology-Virology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris.
Candela has over 18 years of experience on HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, along with experience in Epidemic preparedness and response, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Maternal, Child and Adolescent health, gender equity, psychosocial support and mental health programmes.
She has worked with NGOs, multilateral organizations, academia and health institutions in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia supporting them in:
- Developing health and psychosocial support programmes.
- Analysing results and sharing lessons learned in adequate forums.
- Understanding and setting up monitoring and evaluation systems.
- Strengthening program management and organizational processes.
- Training individuals in leadership skills and public speaking/advocacy.
- Designing and imparting workshops to train facilitators in health issues (HIV-AIDS, Sexual health, qualitative and quantitative data analysis).
Candela has authored several research papers. She is also the author of “Build Your Dream Team. Leadership based in a passion for people”, and the founder of Sekkan Leadership, a platform helping people from non-managerial careers, particularly in the sciences and health fields, to become stronger leaders.
Candela is available for podcasts and lectures. Please contact us at sue.tuck@alandahealth.com to discuss in more detail.
Dr. Michelle Imison
Global Health Projects Lead
Michelle is a global health specialist who has enjoyed a varied career in international development, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.
She has worked extensively in global health advocacy, particularly with Results Australia (leading campaigns to secure Australian investment in several of the global health multilateral funds – the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria; Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative – and in global tuberculosis prevention and care) and the Stop TB Partnership (on initiatives to engage national and regional TB advocates and decision-makers both before and after the UN High-Level Meetings on TB in 2018 and 2023).
In 2021-22 she worked for the Specialist Health Service (managed by Abt Australia), which provides demand-driven technical inputs and logistic support to the health policy, planning and programming work of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra and at regional diplomatic posts.
Gender-related projects earlier in her career saw Michelle write and edit several reports for the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (2013 and 2014), as part of the Oxbridge Human Development Research Group, and work as a Gender Assistant at the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (as part of an Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development placement in 2004-05).
She also has several years’ experience as a consultant, completing assignments for clients including Results Australia, the Stop TB Partnership, Caritas Australia, FHI 360’s Asia-Pacific Regional Office and UNICEF Bangladesh.
Michelle holds a Master of International Public Health (with Merit) and a PhD in Public Health, both from the University of Sydney, and has worked in research here and at the University of New South Wales. She has an extensive academic publication record, particularly in health news and risk communication – including (as first author) on all six studies from her PhD thesis – with a special focus on qualitative (thematic, interview and focus-group) research.
Michelle is a member of the Specialist Health Service panel (maintained by Abt Australia on behalf of DFAT). She has served as a volunteer election observer in Myanmar (2015) and Timor-Leste (2012), as a Director of Oxfam Australia (2008-12), and also has a proud history of involvement with initiatives that connect and mentor women working in the sector (Women in Aid and Development) and that seek to improve the effectiveness of international development work (XSPI – the Cross-
Sector Development Partnerships Initiative).
Julius Okanta
Project Manager
Julius Okanta is a Public Health Analyst committed to an impactful career in the development and humanitarian sectors. As the Program Manager at Alanda Health, he leads the planning and control of Alanda’s internal projects, including science communication, courses and webinars, and internship recruitment. His role also involves leading data analysis for external monitoring and evaluation assignments, all aimed at supporting evidence-informed decision-making to improve health outcomes.
Julius brings over five years of experience in project and program management. Prior to joining Alanda Health, he served as the Country Program Manager for AIESEC’s Global Talent program in Ghana as well as the Project Manager for the Grain of Paradise project in Ghana. He also served as the Vice President of the British Red Cross society during his graduate studies at the University of Aberdeen. He actively volunteers in the humanitarian space as a Digital Support Volunteer with the British Red Cross and through his contributions to research and program delivery at Naseba Africa.
He holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Aberdeen and is completing an MSc in Health Data Science at Universitat Rovira i Virgili. These experiences have fueled his commitment to health equity and his interest in utilizing data to strengthen health systems.
Beyond his professional work, Julius is passionate about data journalism and dedicates his spare time to writing a blog focused on shaping social and health policy at the local district level in Ghana, reflecting his belief that data-driven storytelling can be a powerful tool for grassroots change.
Maria El Rahi
Public Health Intern
Maria El Rahi is a registered dietitian and early-career public health professional with a strong interest in global health, community engagement, health equity, and evidence-based public health initiatives. She holds an MSc in Healthcare Leadership with Distinction from University of Hull and a Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from Gabriele d’Annunzio University. She also earned a Teaching Diploma in Biology from Notre Dame University–Louaize.
Over the past several years, Maria has worked across public health, education, NGO coordination, and community-based initiatives in Lebanon. She has collaborated with NGOs, municipalities, schools, and local stakeholders to support health awareness campaigns, sustainability initiatives, and educational programs in coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Education. Her work has included supporting rural women in sustainable food production, contributing to healthcare quality research, and participating in the development of organizational policies related to food safety, child protection, and professional conduct.
Maria also has extensive experience in science and health education, having taught and
developed interactive learning approaches that promote student engagement and health
awareness. Her research interests focus on food security, leadership advocacy, humanitarian response, and the role of NGOs during crises. Her MSc dissertation explored NGO advocacy and food security challenges during conflict in Syria and Lebanon.
In addition to her professional work, Maria continues to pursue training in health behavior
change, ethnography, food sustainability, and health and safety. She is fluent in Arabic, English, and Italian, with proficiency in French, and is passionate about contributing to multidisciplinary initiatives that improve access to care and strengthen community health systems.
Esmie Kachikuni
Public Health Intern
Esmie Kachikuni is a Public Health Intern at Alanda. She is originally from Malawi but is currently based in the UK. Her undergraduate training is in Social Sciences, particularly in Sociology and Psychology from the University of Malawi (Chancellor College), which gave her a strong foundation in health systems, social policy, and community health, a grounding she has built on ever since. She recently completed a Master’s in Global Health at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, where she gained interdisciplinary training in global health policy, social determinants of health, and evidence synthesis to strengthen health systems and achieve equity in global health.
She has over five years of project coordination, healthcare administration, and research in Maternal and Newborn Health, gained while working with an INGO in Malawi. During this time she led procurement of medical, surgical, and IT supplies, supported multidisciplinary teams across projects, and collaborated with different teams to support the rollout of an AI-augmented fetal monitoring project. This experience provided valuable insights into the operational realities of health systems.
Esmie is passionate about maternal and newborn health, menstrual health, and health equity among vulnerable and marginalised populations, including people with disabilities. She is particularly interested in research that addresses social determinants of health and leverages lived experience to inform context-specific and inclusive policy and practice in addressing global health challenges in a meaningful and sustainable way. At Alanda Health, she is keen to advance her skills in evidence synthesis and science communication while contributing to work that makes a tangible difference on the ground.
OUR ASSOCIATES
Dr. Joris Vandelanotte is a Medical Doctor and Specialist in Public Health Medicine with over 25 years’ experience in Sub-Saharan Africa in the fields of public health, health systems strengthening, primary health care, monitoring and evaluation and operational research. Joris started his career with Médecins sans Frontières in Kenya, Chad and Srebrenica, where he combined clinical practice with district health management and hospital and community infection control and disease outbreak responses (e.g. cholera).
He worked and lived for 20 years in Southern Africa, focusing on district health systems, control of communicable diseases (HIV/AIDS, TB, outbreak response), operational research and HIV prevention care and treatment projects. Joris works currently as an independent consultant, focusing on public health evaluations: Landscape analysis of neglected tropical diseases actors in multiple countries, several evaluations of multi-country learning networks (CQUIN, LabCoP, SSLN), workshops on the use of text analytics in evaluation, GIS training, and the development of a standardized ERU module for infection prevention and control.
Jami Johnson Darkoh is an international development expert with 16 years of experience working with multilateral organizations, civil society organizations, government, and the private sector across more than 25 countries. Her areas of expertise include health program management and oversight, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), capacity development, and communications.
Jami has consulted with numerous clients to improve health and development programs in low- and middle-income countries, including KPMG, UNAIDS, the Global Fund, Oxford Policy Management, the Bertha Centre for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and others. She has previously worked as the director of the UNAIDS-funded Technical Support Facility in East and Southern Africa, where she led the provision of technical assistance to HIV programs in 21 countries in the region. She has also worked as a public health and M&E specialist at the Global Fund in the areas of HIV, TB, and malaria, with a focus on West and Central Africa and the Middle East. Her experience includes programs funded by USAID, CDC, and the private sector while working with BroadReach, Mott MacDonald, and FHI 360.
Jami has extensive experience working with vulnerable populations, and has a particular interest in gender, equity, and social innovation. She has an MPH in Global Health Promotion, an MBA in Global Management, and a certificate in International Economic Relations.
Paola Gómez-Priego is a professional with 20+ years of experience building connections between diverse disciplines and stakeholders to address complex social challenges. Paola holds a PhD in sustainability science from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), specializing in governance, collaborative planning, and social learning. She earned her master’s in environmental science and management from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a bachelor’s in biology from UNAM. With extensive experience coordinating transdisciplinary projects, her professional work is guided by evidence-based decision-making, sustainability, and human rights principles.
Paola’s work centers on bridging the gap between science and action, facilitating informed and strategic decision-making processes, and strengthening collaborative governance. Throughout her career, she has developed effective practices to enhance stakeholder engagement and participation, promote social inclusion, and democratize information, while her expertise in developing and implementing capacity-building programs has supported both formal and non-formal training initiatives for sustainable development.
She has successfully led numerous multi-stakeholder projects funded by international agencies, governments, corporations, civil society organizations, and academic institutions by coordinating multidisciplinary teams across different locations. Additionally, Paola specializes in data analysis, modeling, and visualization, integrating diverse forms of knowledge to inform decision-making processes. Her experience includes developing and implementing robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning frameworks. She is an advocate for knowledge management and knowledge systems as tools for social learning, innovation, and accountability of sustainable development initiatives.
