Dr. Ayo Ajayi Appointed Vice President For Field Programs

    SEATTLE, Aug. 21 /EMWNews/ -- PATH today announced the appointment

of Ayo Ajayi, MD, MPH, as vice president of field programs, effective

September 1, 2008. Dr. Ajayi is an internationally recognized expert with

more than 25 years of experience in global health, primarily in sub-Saharan

Africa. His areas of expertise include building health service capacity and

developing culturally appropriate service-delivery models in low-resource

settings.



    Ajayi will lead strategy development and implementation for PATH's

country programs in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America and the

Caribbean. He will represent the organization internationally, nationally,

and locally and serve as the primary liaison between PATH headquarters and

field offices. Ajayi replaces Harriet Stanley, PhD, who has left PATH to

return to her home community in British Columbia, Canada.



    "We are thrilled to have Dr. Ajayi join us in our work to strengthen

and grow our country programs," said Christopher Elias, MD, MPH, PATH's

president and CEO. "His leadership skills, outstanding knowledge of global

health needs, and excellent relationships with other global health

organizations and leaders will help us further our mission in the years to

come."



    Ajayi is currently regional director for sub-Saharan Africa for the

Population Council, where he manages seven offices and oversees the

organization's regional research portfolio. Prior to joining the Population

Council in 1990, he was a regional vice president for Pathfinder

International. He also taught at Boston University and served as a

government health officer in Nigeria. Ajayi has been a consultant to USAID,

the World Health Organization, and several United Nations agencies. His

professional activities include serving as a board member for the Africa

Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), which he helped establish,

and as chair of the advisory committee on access for the International

Partnership for Microbicides.



    "I have worked closely with Ayo and know that his extensive knowledge

of health issues facing sub-Saharan Africa will be an excellent asset to

PATH," said Alex Ezeh, PhD, MSc, a PATH board member and executive director

of APHRC.



    Ajayi completed his medical training at the University of Ibadan,

Nigeria, and received a master's degree in public health from Boston

University. He also holds a certificate in family planning from the London

University School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is fluent in Yoruba

and Hausa.

    About PATH



    PATH is an international nonprofit organization that creates

sustainable, culturally relevant solutions, enabling communities worldwide

to break longstanding cycles of poor health. By collaborating with diverse

public- and private-sector partners, PATH helps provide appropriate health

technologies and vital strategies that change the way people think and act.

PATH's work improves global health and well-being.



    Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, PATH has 35 offices in 20

countries. PATH currently works in more than 70 countries in the areas of

health technologies, maternal and child health, reproductive health,

vaccines and immunization, and emerging and epidemic diseases.



    For more information, please visit http://www.path.org.