Afghan Biographies
Mohammadi, Mohammad
| Name | Mohammadi, Mohammad |
| Ethnic backgr. | |
| Date of birth | |
| Function/Grade | UNICEF head Afghanistan polio project |
| History and Biodata |
1. Former UNICEF head Afghanistan polio project:
In two decades at the World Health Organization (WHO), Mohammed has played a pivotal role in eradicating polio in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, Djibouti, and Chad as a member of the organization’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative. After achieving resounding success, his team’s efforts faltered in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the last two countries with cases of polio. From Mohammed’s perspective, a crowded field of organizations, donors, and staff members created a bureaucratic tangle that prevented grassroots efforts from succeeding.
Fighting burnout in Pakistan, Mohammed applied for the IMHL program at the urging of two program alumni who served in senior positions at the WHO.
After graduation, Mohammed took up the mantle of polio eradication once again when he accepted a position as the Chief Immunization Officer for UNICEF in Afghanistan. Remembering the failure his WHO team experienced in Pakistan, Mohammed immediately reorganized the UNICEF office to improve efficiency at the grassroots level.
Mohammed has also leaned heavily on the relationship management skills he honed in the IMHL program in a series of meetings with the Taliban in the early months of 2020. As he applies his expertise to some of the most complex negotiations of his career, he is confident that his mission will succeed where it stumbled years ago. |
| Last Modified | 2021-01-28 |
| Established | 2021-01-28 |
Mohammed Mohammedi had more than 25 years of public health experience under his belt when he enrolled in the International Masters for Health Leadership (IMHL) program at McGill University. Initially, the French-born engineer joined the staff of Doctors Without Borders as an alternative to serving in the army. ”