Dr. Zalha Assoumana has been appointed as the new Representative of the Guinea Bissau Office as of September 2024. With over 20 years of experience in managing health programs within UN organizations, regional institutions such as ECOWAS, and at the country level, particularly in humanitarian settings, Assoumana brings a wealth of expertise to the role.
As an obstetrician and gynecologist, Assoumana possesses extensive experience at both strategic and operational levels in areas including maternal health, family planning, adolescent reproductive health, fistula and prolapse management, female genital mutilation, HIV/AIDS, women's empowerment, gender-based violence, and population dynamics. Her work spans the development, humanitarian, and peace continuum.
She holds a Doctorate in Medicine with honors from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Bamako, Mali, and a diploma with honors in Specialized Studies in Obstetric Gynecology from the University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
Assoumana has held several significant positions, including Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Schiphra Hospital in Ouagadougou, Team Leader in charge of Programme Coordination at the UNFPA Niger office, Maternal Health Regional Advisor providing support to 23 countries in West and Central Africa, and Deputy Representative in the Haiti country office.
An accomplished author, Assoumana has had many of her articles recognized by the International Federation of Obstetrician and Gynecology.
