Malelo Ilukena

REGIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION COORDINATOR, SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION

Malelo Ilukena is an accomplished public health and community development professional with over 23 years of experience driving health systems strengthening and community empowerment. With a strong track record in government and NGO engagement, she has successfully led multi-stakeholder programmes focused on improving health outcomes in Zambia and beyond.

Since joining World Vision 11 years ago, Malelo has served in various leadership roles, including Grants Acquisition Manager, Senior Technical Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children programming, and Senior Technical Advisor for the Stop Gender-Based Violence Survivor Support Grant. In addition to her role as Regional Health and Nutrition Coordinator for Southern Africa Region, she currently serves as the Technical Program Manager – Health and Nutrition (Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child, Adolescent Health, and Nutrition – RMNCAHN) at World Vision Zambia. In this role, she leads a team delivering integrated health and nutrition interventions across 12 Area Programmes in 13 districts.

Malelo provides technical leadership and oversight to grants such as the Zambia Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (ZMMS) programme, Survive to Thrive (S2T), and the Global Fund. She is a trusted and results-driven advisor with extensive experience managing grant-funded projects, supported by donors including the Global Fund, USAID, UNICEF, the EU, UNAIDS, and Irish Aid. Known for thriving in complex, multi-partner environments, she brings strong strategic thinking, accountability, and collaboration skills.

Prior to joining World Vision, Malelo served as a clinician with the Ministry of Health in Zambia for 10 years, and later worked with leading NGOs such as the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Zambia National AIDS Network, Project Concern International, and the Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Management Program.

Malelo holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the University of Leeds (UK), an Advanced Diploma in Project Management from the University of Cambridge (UK), and a Certificate in Public Health, Sex and Society, Social Marketing, and Global Health from the University of Sydney (Australia). She also holds a Diploma in Clinical Medical Sciences from Chainama College of Health Sciences in Zambia.