Mohammed Ali Ouenzar, M.D. Is Appointed PIVOT Country Director

The Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Mohammed Ali Ouenzar, M.D., has been named the new Country Director for PIVOT. Dr. Ouenzar will succeed Djordje Gikic, M.D., who served PIVOT for the past two years during which time major site operations were launched and strategic relationships with the government and other partners were established.

Dr. Ouenzar, a native of Morocco, currently serves as Technical Advisor for Care and Treatment, Tuberculosis, and Quality Improvement for Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). Dr. Ouenzar has extensive public health leadership experience in varied settings including Doctors without Borders (MSF) Switzerland in Democratic Republic of Congo and in Mozambique where he served as Head of Pediatric HIV Care and Treatment and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission programs.  He served as Medical Team Leader and general practitioner for Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity in Morocco with responsibility for the welcoming center for migrants traveling to/coming from Europe. He joined Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation as a Clinical Adviser for the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Mozambique and was promoted to his current role, where he oversees clinical programs, provides programmatic guidance to EGPAF clinical staff, coordinates the management of HIV/Tuberculosis programs with Health Authorities, and contributes to the design and implementation of innovative approaches such as Mobile Health Clinics, HIV “Test and Treat,” and Performance Based Financing (PBF) programs. Dr. Ouenzar holds a Diploma in Medical Science and Doctorate in General Medicine degrees from Université Mohammed V / Faculté de Médicine et de Pharmacie in Morocco.

“Dr. Ouenzar is extraordinarily well prepared to lead PIVOT Madagascar as Country Director. His life’s work aligns directly with our mission of saving lives and breaking cycles of poverty and disease through the delivery of integrated primary health care, strengthening of the health system, and data-driven research on operational effectiveness and the root causes of poverty and disease. We are fortunate to have him and grateful for his commitment to serve,” said Jim Herrnstein, chairman of the board.

Dr. Ouenzar will begin in September. He and his wife, Carla, and their two children, Said (5) and Sara (1) will reside in the capital city of Antananarivo.