Miriam Were

Miriam Khamadi Were (born April 12, 1940) is a Kenyan public health advocate, academic, and recipient of the first Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize.

As a graduate of William Penn College, in Oskaloosa, IA Were began a career with a focus on helping others. With a degree in Natural Sciences and postgraduate Diploma in Education, Were taught high school chemistry and biology before medical studies.

Were qualified as a medical doctor from the University of Nairobi, and she rose to become head of the Department of Community Medicine at Nairobi's School of Medicine.

Were's studies at Johns Hopkins University led to her 1981 doctorate in Public Health, Health Planning and Management. She has applied this training and academic background to programs focused on community-based empowerment. Her work aims to help others move towards implementing creative, effective, and self-sustaining programs. Her experiences have been marshaled in encouraging community-based initiatives.

As a co-founder of the UZIMA Foundation and in her work with African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), Dr. Were sought to put her academic training to good use. She focused on the process of bringing basic medical services and health rights to women and children in the villages of East Africa.

Were is the current chairperson of the National AIDS Control Council (NACC) Kenya. From a position closely associated with the Office of the President, NACC coordinates the national HIV/AIDS response in Kenya. Dr. Were is also the serving Chairperson of the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Board. In addition, she finds time to serve on the Advisory Board of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) as well as on the board of directors of Medical Assistance Programs (MAP) International (US).

Were was Director of the United Nations Population Fund Country Support Team (UNFPA/CST) for East and Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Prior to that she was the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Chief of Mission in Ethiopia. Before WHO, she was Chief of Health and Nutrition in UNICEF, Ethiopia.

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