MaryAnn Ngozi Obidike, UNA Women Co-Chair

MaryAnn Ngozi Obidike, a first-generation African scholar and public health practitioner, is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) candidate at Claremont Graduate University and internationally recognized for more than a decade of leadership in global health, gender mainstreaming, and organizational systems transformation.

Her career spans work with ActionAid, AIDS Alliance, Catholic Relief Services, the Lady Mechanic Initiative, and delivery projects funded by USAID, DFID, the Global Fund for Women, Pathfinder International, UNFPA, and other global institutions, where she has led programs advancing community health, child protection, gender-based programming, and women’s economic empowerment in various capacities.

Academically, MaryAnn holds a Master of Science in Health Management Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Applied Microbiology, along with certifications in Project Management (PMD Pro), Child Protection (HarvardX), Emergency Preparedness (FEMA), and Systems Engineering. Her research portfolio spans studies of socio-economic factors influencing HIV prevalence, systemic barriers to women’s empowerment, early sexual debut among youth, prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, application of peer education, positive parenting, and participatory community approaches to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Building on her academic and professional accomplishments, she served as Secretary of the UNA-USA Women’s Affinity Group and currently serves as a Board Member of the UNA-USA Pomona Valley Chapter, California, as well as an Advocacy Champion with United to Beat Malaria. She has also represented UNA-USA and Bell Global Justice Institute as a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women, advocating for CEDAW, gender equity, and youth leadership. At Claremont Graduate University, MaryAnn served as President of the SCGH Student Association Board (2024–2025) and as President of the Union of International African Students (UIAS). These roles reflect her commitment to leadership, global collaboration, and strengthening academic-community partnerships.

She is the recipient of the United Nations Foundation Award for Outstanding Global Health Advocacy and has received multiple honors and meritorious citations from ActionAid Nigeria, Catholic Relief Services, the Lady Mechanic Initiative, and State Ministries of Women and Social Development in Nigeria. She has presented at leading international conferences, including the American Public Health Association (APHA), Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT), and International AIDS Conferences; she has published and reviewed peer-reviewed work on HIV/AIDS, child protection, trauma, health systems design, and serves as an active peer reviewer for the APHA CHPPD and PHEHP abstract sections.

Currently, she serves as an administrator at the Community Translational Research Institute (CTRI), where she leads systems engineering for stakeholder engagement and strengthens community-based health delivery models. She has also contributed to international missions and collaborations, mentoring young reproductive health advocates across Africa and leading women’s empowerment initiatives recognized globally.

MaryAnn’s career reflects her commitment to transnational collaboration, inclusive governance, and decolonizing global health practice. With fluency in both the technical and human dimensions of care, she stands at the forefront of the next generation of public health leaders advancing justice through policy and people-centered innovation.