CCIH 2025 Conference Program
See the full Conference Program here.
Day 1 Monday, June 9
Opening Welcome and Reception
Day 2, Tuesday, June 10
Plenary 1: Navigating the Political Landscape for Faith-Based Organizations
- Mark P. Lagon, PhD, Chief Policy Officer, Friends of the Global Fight
- Mark Chataway, Managing Partner, Global Health Practice, Finn Partners
- Moderated by Patricia Kisare, Program Director for International Policy Advocacy, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Breakout Sessions Group 1
Breakout 1A. Religious Actors as Change Agents
Moderator: Dr. Bob Carter, Medical Missionary, SIM
- Priscilla Amuah, Senior Program Officer, Episcopal Relief & Development: Sustained Impact: The Power of Communities as Change Agents | Slides
- Farida Abdulbasit, Program Coordinator of Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Communities, Faith to Action Network: Faith Leaders as a Catalyst for Change | Slides
- Richard Lundie, Sikunye of Common Good: The Church’s Role in Supporting Human Development in the First Thousand Days of Life | Slides
Breakout 1B. Youth as Change Agents
Moderator: Dr. Miriam Gesa Mutabazi, Head of Department Partnerships and Community Engagement, Uganda Christian University
- Jennifer Hatzfeld, Regional Network Director, The Meros Center: Youth Ignite | Slides
- Jean Marie Vianney Gatete, Executive Secretary, Rwanda Interfaith Council on Health: The Impact of Faith-Based Peer-to-Peer Support in Youth Mental Health Rehabilitation | Slides
- Amery Delamarter, Program Officer, World Relief, presenting on behalf of Emily Chambers Sharpe: A Holistic, Peer-led Approach to Positive Change for Adolescent Girls and Young Women | Slides
- Shimy Mathew, Secretary, Nurses League of CMAI: Empowering Young Women Through Formal Nursing Education | Slides
Breakout 1C. FLAME (Faith Leader Advocacy for Malaria Elimination): Learning From an International Grassroots-Driven Advocacy Movement of Faith Leaders
Moderator: Rebecca Vander Meulen, Executive Director, J.C. Flowers Foundation
- Sister Agness Lungu, Health Director for the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops
- The Rt. Rev. Bertin Mwale Subi, Bishop of the Diocese of Katanga
- Bishop Dinis Matsolo, Mozambique Synod, The Methodist Church of Southern Africa
- Mr. Amu Mudenda, FLAME Secretariat Coordinator
- Dr. Tommy Susiku Namitondo, President, Northern Zambia Union Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Breakout Sessions Group 2
Breakout Session 2A: Poster Session
Moderator: Laura Berry, Vice President of Strategic Development, Blessings International
- Selamawit Tadesse, Technical Advisor, and Jacqueline Chebi, Program Manager, Catholic Relief Services | Poster
- Ruth Gemi, Program Management Advisor, Africa Christian Health Associations Platform
- Rosa Camargo, Senior Advisor, Fundacion Doulos
- Sarah Beth Spraggings, Development Associate, LifeNet International
- Molli Goetz, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Healey International Relief Foundation
- Dr. Jennifer Hatzfeld, Regional Network Director, Meros Center, presenting on behalf of Ms.Kobusingye, Uganda Christian University
- M. Ramesh Babu, Executive Director, Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR)
Breakout Session 2B: Technology as a Change Agent
Moderator: Simon Ssentongo, Knowledge Management and Learning Advisor, ACHAP
- Issa Osorio, Director of Programs for Latin America, presenting on behalf of Karen Pavon, Lutheran World Relief, Director, Central America: EmpleandoMentes | Slides
- Esther Rodriguez, Learning for Humanity Program Coordinator, Medicines for Humanity: Learning for Humanity: A Transformative e-Learning Platform for Catholic Sisters and Frontline Health Workers | Slides
- Melissa Edmiston, Vice President of Programs, Hope Rises International: Empowering Health Systems with Portable PCR Technology: The Role of the Biomeme Franklin™ three9 in Diagnosing Neglected Diseases | Slides
- Naomi Makau, Programs and M&E Manager, World Renew: From Pens to Pixels | Slides
Breakout Session 2C: Faith and Flourishing: Strengthening Mental Health for Resilient Communities
Moderator: Weanne Estrada, Mental Health Specialist, ADRA
- Stacy Saha, LAMB: Faith Communities Working Together to Improve Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Health (MESH) in Rural Bangladesh | Slides
- Rachel Bernard, Haiti Country Director, The Dalton Foundation: Trauma Response in Haiti | Slides
- Mr. Jean Marie Vianney Gatete, Executive Secretary, Rwanda Interfaith Council on Health: The Role of Religious Leaders in Promoting Mental Health and Creating Safe Environments | Slides
- Dr. Kenneth Muko, Program Director, Medicines for Humanity: Christian Women Religious (CWRs) Saving Lives in Conflict Settings: A Case Study of CWRs in West Cameroon | Slides
Plenary 2: The Church as Change Agents for All
- Dr. Priya John, General Secretary, Christian Medical Association of India
- Monsignor Robert Vitillo, Senior Advisor in the Research and Reflection Section at the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
- Moderated by Yoram Siame, Director of Advocacy, Planning, and Development, Churches Health Association of Zambia
Presentation of Change Agent Award
Day 3 Wednesday, June 11
Plenary 3: Change Agents in Changing Times featuring Reverend Bill Haley, Executive Director, Coracle
Holy Communion
Breakout Sessions Group 3
Breakout Session 3A: Health Systems as Change Agents
Moderator: Dr. Daniel O’Neill, Managing Editor, Christian Journal for Global Health
- Dr. Hannah Ndungu, Director of Emergency Management, ADRA Africa Regional Office: Integrated Health Systems and Livelihoods in Refugee Settlement in Kyaka-Uganda | Slides
- Yasmine Vaughan, Technical Advisor for Global Health and Missions, Helping Children Worldwide, and Molli Goetz, LMSW, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Healey International Relief Foundation: The Power of Collaboration to Bring About Health System Change: Our Experience with Programs for Continuous Medical Education for Health System Resiliency | Slides
- Dr. James Duah, Deputy Executive Director, Christian Health Association of Ghana: Leading Quality Improvement for a National Scale Up | Slides
- Patricia Kamara, Executive Director, Christian Health Association of Liberia: Implementing Community Health Insurance in Liberia | Slides
Breakout Session 3B: Listening First: Building Health Programs with Communities
Moderator: Jim Oehrig, Global Advisor, Christian Partnerships, Hope Rises International
- Dan Martin: A Methodology to Measure Community Engagement | Slides
- Dr. Priya John, Christian Medical Association of India: Empower Communities to Aspire Change | Slides
- Simon Ssentongo, Knowledge Management and Learning Advisor, ACHAP: Resilient Vision: Strengthening Health Systems for Inclusive Eye Care in Africa | Slides
- Dr. Samuel Mwenda, Outgoing General Secretary, Christian Health Association of Kenya: Religious Leader Engagement in Strategic Advocacy for UHC reforms | Slides
Breakout Session 3C: Engaging Communities in Disability and Fragile Settings
Moderator: Nancy Tenbroek, Senior Program Consultant and Health Advisor, World Renew
- Hamilton Kambalame, Rehabilitation Technical Advisor for Disability Program, Kingdom Workers: Community-Led Disability Care: Building Sustainable Support Systems | Slides
- Rebecca Heidorn, Program Officer, Kupenda for the Children: Empowering Community Health Volunteers as Change Agents Who Transform Harmful Beliefs and Practices About Disability into Those That Improve the Lives of People with Disabilities | Slides
- Erin Williams, MAS, MS, OTR/L, Director of Technical Support, Hope Walks: Health Equity and Holistic, Faith-Based Healing for Clubfoot Disability | Slides
Breakout Sessions Group 4
Breakout 4A: Poster Session
Moderator: Dr. Don Tyson, Professor Emeritus of Nursing, Eastern Mennonite University
- Mrs. Lango Williams Toe, Director of Health for the Liberia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and Council Chair, Amelia Ross Memorial United Church, Director of Health, LAC/UMC, United Methodist Church LAC/UMC | Poster
- Dr. Charsey Cherry, MPH: Community Systems Strengthening Advisor, Global Health Action and Bwalya Mubanga, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor, Global Health Action: Transforming Overwhelm into Empowerment: Community Organizations Leading Through Times of Change and Climate Challenges in Kenya | Poster
- Dr. Kenneth Muko, Program Director for Africa, Medicines for Humanity: Impact of the SISTERS Project Interventions on Health Care Quality and Community Outcomes in Haiti | Poster
- Dr. Dodanim Lans Vásquez Campos, Chairman of the Global Anabaptist Health Network: Enhancing Dignity through Quality Care: A Transformative Model in Guatemala | Poster
- Dr. Sunitha Varghese, Research Coordinator, Distance Education Unit, Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore: Harnessing Technology to implement a Nationwide Mentoring model for Community Health Officers in India | Poster
- Heather Jones, Programmes Officer, International Health Partners: Streamlining Product Donations and Distribution to Enhance NGO Health Programme Delivery | Poster
Breakout Session 4B: Leveraging Supply Chains, Social Enterprise, and Partnerships for Better Health
Moderator: Dr. Kris Prenger, Midwest Mobilization and Member Care Coordinator, Interserve USA
- Ronald Kasule, Business Development Specialist, Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau: Implementing High-Impact Social Enterprise Initiatives as a Sustainable Resource Mobilisation Strategy: A UPMB Experience | Slides
- Dr. Perry Jansen, African Mission Healthcare: Forward Together – Toward More Impactful Cross-Cultural Partnerships in Healthcare Mission | Slides
- Haliq Adam, Program Manager, Catholic Relief Services: Strengthening Health Commodity Supply Chain Management System in Rural Ghana | Slides
Breakout Session 4C: Religious Actors as Change Agents
Moderator: Dr. Karen Hardee, President, Hardee Associates LLC
- Eeva Sallinen Simard, Technical Advisor for Integral Mission, World Relief: Measuring the Impact of Faith Leaders in Community Resilience | Slides
- Peter Munene, CEO, Faith to Action Network: Religious Actors Driving Positive and Restorative Masculinity in Faith Communities | Slides
- Evans Mwananyambe, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Access to Health Zambia: Community Health Workers As Change Agents | Slides
- Dr. Tonny Tumwesigye, Executive Director, Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau: Leveraging Young Adolescent and Youth Peer Supporters to Expand Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information at Faith-Based Private Not-for-Profit Facilities in Uganda | Slides
Closing Plenary: Action Planning for the Future of Faith-based Global Health
- Vuyelwa Sidile-Chitimbire, Executive Director, Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals
- Dr. Dennis Cherian, Managing Director of Technical Services and Global Practice Head, Health, Corus International
- Moderated by CCIH Executive Director Doug Fountain