Dr Alaine Umubyeyi Nyaruhirira

Dr Nyaruhirira is a laboratory expert with 20 years of experience in the TB diagnostics field as well as experience in health systems strengthening and other public health areas. She has provided services and collaborated with various technical partners involved in global and country-level laboratory strengthening.

Over the past eight years, Dr Nyaruhirira has contributed to improving laboratory services in the African Region. In her current role at Management Sciences for Health (MSH), she leads activities related to diagnostics and laboratory services for TB, HIV malaria and other diseases programs. She has provided technical support to help introduce new TB diagnostic technologies, map and optimize laboratory networks as well as coordination of QA/QC activities in multiple countries (Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Sudan, South Africa, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, among others).

Dr Nyaruhirira has been invited to participate as a Member of various working groups, including the Global Laboratory Initiative in which she served as the Vice-Chair from 2014 to 2018. She is currently a Member of the WHO Drug-Resistant TB Advisory Committee for the African Region, Global Drug Initiative Working Group where she represents technical agencies and implementation partners assisting National TB Programmes in high burden DR-TB countries. She has been appointed to lead the Union Bacteriology and Immunology section of the Union for the past 3 years as well as a Core Member of the Union’s Coordinating Committee of Scientific Activities.