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Francisca Ayodeji (Ayo) Akala is the Country Manager for Uganda. Based in Kampala, Ayo, as she is better known, leads the design and implementation of the World Bank¡¯s evolving support program and maintains regular dialogue with the government. She ensures the Bank¡¯s support is aligned with Uganda¡¯s development priorities to foster faster, more resilient, and inclusive growth that will create more, better, and more inclusive jobs.

Ayo has more than 25 years of experience in strengthening health systems, service delivery, and multi-sectoral approaches to public health challenges including immunization, HIV/AIDS, malaria, non-communicable diseases, and malnutrition. She has led major health initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East including in fragile and conflict-affected states as Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her expertise ranges from program implementation to policy development, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for women, children, and adolescents. She was also a core member of the World Bank¡¯s Human Capital Project, supporting countries in scaling up investments in human development.

Ayo has served as Practice Manager for Health, Nutrition, and Population, overseeing 13 countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region; Public Health Specialist in the Middle East and North Africa region; and Senior Health Specialist in the Western and Central Africa and South Asia regions.

A Nigerian national, Ayo holds a medical degree from the University of Ibadan, a master¡¯s degree in public health from the University of Lagos, and a master¡¯s degree in health services management from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.