Ndekana is a seasoned global health and international development leader with over 15 years of experience strengthening national and regional health systems across East Africa. Her expertise spans public-private partnership development, health market systems strengthening, social enterprise, program leadership, and policy advocacy with a consistent focus on expanding equitable access to quality healthcare for women and vulnerable communities. Maureen brings a strong track record in strategic program design and oversight, having led complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives that bridge government, private sector, and development partners. She has demonstrated depth in facilitating public-private collaboration, advancing market-based health solutions, and supporting policy dialogue and regional coordination through health diplomacy and government engagement. Her ability to convene and align diverse stakeholders has been central to delivering scalable, sustainable health impact at the systems level. Her leadership of major donor-funded programs includes the USAID flagship initiative Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS), where she led efforts to strengthen private health markets and expand sustainable access to reproductive health services and commodities. She also led the USAID East Africa regional initiative Local Health Systems Strengthening (LHSS) East Africa, which supported regional intergovernmental organizations and national and local governments in improving health services for vulnerable and mobile cross-border populations. Earlier in her career, Maureen led reproductive health programming that advanced innovative service delivery models including the establishment of franchise clinic networks providing family planning and safe motherhood services with DKT International and the introduction of Tanzania’s first branded Clean Delivery Kit with PSI International. Maureen has served on the boards of two international organizations, DKT International and Business for Health Solutions (BHS), bringing governance experience that complements her programmatic expertise. DKT International promotes family planning and HIV prevention through social marketing, operating as one of the largest private providers of contraceptives in the developing world across more than 100 countries. Business for Health Solutions applies a private-sector approach to health systems strengthening in Africa, building the capacity of local healthcare companies to deliver quality, affordable, and accessible health products and services to communities. As a Board Member, Maureen offers strategic insight, governance acumen, and deep fluency in health systems and development programming. She is well-positioned to contribute to organizational oversight, guide programmatic impact, and advance long-term sustainability through strong partnerships and evidence-based decision-making.