Board of Directors

Dr. Zipporah Ali, MD. MPH. MPC. HonDUniv

Technical Advisor/Consultant/Researcher 

Dr Zipporah Ali has recently retired from the position of Executive Director of Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA), a position she held for 15 years. She is the current chair of the NCD Alliance Kenya (NCDAK) and the Vice President of Africa Organization for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC) East Africa. Dr. Ali has been and continues to be involved in advocacy and creating awareness on pain relief and palliative care in Kenya for children and adults. She is an advocate for prevention of NCDs, as well as Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In her leadership role as the Executive Director for KEHPCA, she was very instrumental in fostering strong relationships with the Ministry of Health to integrate palliative care into government hospitals. She was also instrumental in advocating for palliative care to be included in the undergraduate medical and nursing schools in Kenya. She is a strong advocate for NCD prevention, control and treatment and was instrumental in developing the first National Cancer Control Strategy and the National Guidelines for Cancer Management-Kenya. She has also advocated for palliative care to be integrated in other non-communicable diseases as well as infectious diseases. 

Dr. Ali has been involved in a number of activities at the World Health Assembly (Geneva) and the UN High Level Meetings on Non-communicable diseases. She is a strong advocate for the right to health for all and a supporter of the movement of meaningful involvement of persons living with serious health conditions and leaving no one behind.  

Dr. Ali holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of Nairobi, and Degree of Master in Palliative Care from the University of Dundee. She has received a number of awards in recognition of her work nationally and globally. These include: 

• Doctor of Law Honoris Causa-University of Dundee (2018)

• International Humanitarian Award-Women4Africa (2018)

• Social Impact Award for the Sub-Saharan Africa region-British Council (2018)

• Honorary Doctor of the University by Oxford Brookes University (2012)

• Individual Advocacy Award by the African Palliative Care Association and Open Society Foundations (2013

• African Palliative Care Award – (In recognition for being on the interim board and later serving on the board for 2 teams) -2007