2026 ACMHR-K Ambassador Training (Cohort-1)

Theme: Building a Healthier Life Through Cardio-Metabolic Research and Action

TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING Completed

About This Program

This program aims to train youth who will form part of ambassadors for Cardio-Metabolic health awareness in Kenya.
Program Features include: Expert-led live sessions via Zoom; Interactive discussions and Q&A with speakers; Exposure to international research perspectives on cardiometabolic health; Certificate of Completion and Physical Graduation in Nairobi.
Program Structure: Duration - 3 weeks (11th February 2026-26th February 2026); Schedule: 6 sessions (2 sessions per week); Mode: Online (via Zoom)-interactive lectures and discussions; Graduation: Physical ceremony in Nairobi.

Program Objectives

Build a community of ACMHR-K ambassadors supporting leadership, advocacy, and community engagement in cardiometabolic health.
Strengthen research, communication, leadership, and policy engagement skills.

Program Content

Burden, Trends, and Trajectories of Cardiometabolic Illnesses in Kenya (Speaker: Alex Kiema Nguma, HSC)
Translating Research into Policy and Practice (Speaker: Dr Nicholas Odongo, PhD)
Herbal Medicine and Metabolic Health (Speaker: Dr Olakunle Sanni, PhD)
Nutrition and Metabolic Wellness: From Food to Function (Speaker: Ms. Lilian Mutanu Mumina)
The Gut–Heart Connection: Microbiota and Cardiometabolic Health (Speaker: Dr Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri, PhD)
Lipids and Cardiovascular Risk (Speaker: Dr Simon Okomo Aloo, PhD)

Expected Outcomes

Participants will be equipped to communicate health evidence effectively, engage communities and policymakers, advocate for healthier environments, and contribute to ACMHR-K activities and initiatives.

Start Date

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

End Date

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location

Online: Zoom

Target Audience

Young Health Professionals

Requirements

Minimum qualification: Diploma in Health Sciences or a related field
Demonstrated interest in cardiometabolic health
Basic understanding of health and research concepts
Commitment to actively participate in the ACMHR-K Ambassador Training Program
Must attend all six training sessions conducted over the three-week training period
Willingness to contribute to ACMHR-K activities, advocacy, and community engagement
Commitment to serve as an ACMHR-K Ambassador after completing the program
Must be available and willing to attend the physical graduation ceremony in Nairobi in Novembe

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2026 ACMHR-K Ambassador Training (Cohort-1)

Program Information

Category: TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING
Status: Completed
Start Date: Feb 11, 2026
End Date: Feb 26, 2026
Location: Online: Zoom
Speakers 6

Speakers

Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri, PhD Dr The Gut–Heart Connection: Microbiota and Cardiometabolic Health

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Nicholas Odongo, PhD Dr Translating Research into Policy and Practice

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Alex Kiema Nguma, HSC Mr Burden, Trends, and Trajectories of Cardiometabolic Illnesses in Kenya

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Simon Aloo, PhD Dr Lipids and Cardiovascular Risk

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Olakunle Sanni, PhD Dr Herbal Medicine and Metabolic Health

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Lilian Mutanu Mumina Ms Nutrition and Metabolic Wellness: From Food to Function

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Interested in This Program?

Meet Our Speakers

Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri, PhD

Senior Researcher/Group leader, Vilnius University

Lithuania

The Gut–Heart Connection: Microbiota and Cardiometabolic Health

Dr. Eric Banan-Mwine Daliri is an internationally recognized biotechnologist and functional food scientist with over 10 years of global research experience in gut microbiota and metabolic health. He holds a PhD in Food Science and Biotechnology from Kangwon National University (South Korea), with additional training in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Jiangnan University (China) and the University of Cape Coast. Currently he is a Senior Researcher and Principal Investigator at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center. Dr. Daliri leads innovative research on functional foods, probiotics, and nutraceuticals designed to modulate the gut microbiome and improve metabolic outcomes. He has published over 100 SCI-indexed articles, contributed to multiple academic books, and has obtained six patents related to functional foods and metabolic health. A defining strength of Dr. Daliri’s career is his ability to translate laboratory research into scalable, commercially viable food prototypes

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Nicholas Odongo, PhD

International Development Consultant | Science & Innovation Policy Expert, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS)

Kenya

Translating Research into Policy and Practice

Dr. Nicholas Odongo is a science, technology, and innovation (STI) policy expert with a PhD in Public Administration from Korea University. He is a Research Fellow, Research Manager, and Deputy Head at the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), where he oversees a USD 7.8 million portfolio supporting science funding agencies across 17 African countries. He specialises in translating research into policy and socioeconomic impact, has led major international development initiatives, and supports implementation of the African Union’s STISA-2034 agenda.

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Alex Kiema Nguma, HSC

Family Medical specialist, Kitui County Referral Hospital

Kenya

Burden, Trends, and Trajectories of Cardiometabolic Illnesses in Kenya

Alex Kiema Nguma, HSC, is an accomplished Family Medicine Clinical Officer with over a decade of experience across primary care, emergency response, and public health systems. He is a recipient of the Head of State Commendation (HSC) for exemplary service to the health sector in Kenya. Mr. Nguma has extensive expertise in comprehensive family medicine, delivering care across the life course-from perinatal and pediatric care to adult and geriatric medicine. His clinical strengths include HIV/TB management, PMTCT services, and chronic disease care, with particular focus on diabetes and hypertension, which are central to Kenya’s cardiometabolic disease burden. He has also contributed to global health emergency response as part of the African Union Support to the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA) in Liberia, where he implemented infection prevention and control (IPC) measures during the 2015 Ebola crisis. Mr. Nguma has served as a Clinical Officer In-Charge and Chairperson of the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Committee, championing quality improvement, mentorship, and workforce capacity building. Mr. Nguma holds a Higher National Diploma in Family Health (KMTC Nairobi) and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health systems management and development. In this session, he will provide an evidence-informed overview of the current burden, population trends, and future projections of cardiometabolic diseases in Kenya, equipping trainees with a grounded understanding of the evolving national landscape

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Simon Aloo, PhD

Alliance for Cardiometabolic Health and Research-Kenya/Baker Institute/Monash University

Kenya/Australia

Lipids and Cardiovascular Risk

Dr. Simon Aloo is a researcher specializing in translational medicine. He is currently based at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Australia, where his work advances understanding of lipid-mediated mechanisms in cardiometabolic disorders. Dr. Aloo completed his first PhD in Food Science and Biotechnology (2024) at Kangwon National University, with research focused on plant bioactives and functional ingredients for the prevention and management of obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. He is currently pursuing a second PhD in Biomedicine at Monash University, investigating the role of lipid metabolism in cardiometabolic disease.

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Olakunle Sanni, PhD

Senior Researcher & Lecturer, University of Johannesburg

South Africa

Herbal Medicine and Metabolic Health

Dr Olakunle Sanni has a PhD in Biochemistry with extensive experience in metabolic and biochemical research. His research is focused on preclinical studies and molecular mechanisms underlying diabetes, obesity, and cardiometabolic disorders. He has over 30 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and contributions to international book chapters. Presently, Dr Olakunle is a lecturer and senior researcher at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, where he has supervised and co-supervised several postgraduate students.

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Lilian Mutanu Mumina

Treasurer, Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dietitians (KUNAD)

Kenya

Nutrition and Metabolic Wellness: From Food to Function

Lilian Mutanu Mumina is a Registered and Licensed Clinical Nutritionist and the National Treasurer of KUNAD. She holds a BSc in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University and advanced training in Health Leadership, Transformational Leadership, and Policy Advocacy from the University of Washington. Currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (Epidemiology and Disease Control), she is the founder of Mumina Wellness Solutions and co-founder of Thee Nutritionists’ Corner, where she promotes nutrition, wellness, and public health advocacy.

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