Dr. Gabriele Fontana

Gabriele Fontana, MD, MSc, PhD, is UNICEF's Strategic Health Adviser for Global Health Partnerships, leading engagement with key multilateral, bilateral, philanthropic and private-sector partners, and overseeing UNICEF's collaboration with the European Commission's Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) on child and adolescent health initiatives. He is a global health leader with over 18 years of experience shaping health policy, systems and partnerships at headquarters, regional and country levels. A medical doctor with a PhD in Public Health and an MSc in Health Services Management, he has held senior leadership positions with UNICEF in Europe, Central Asia, Eastern and Southern Africa, and at headquarters in New York. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively with governments, WHO, Gavi, the Global Fund, the World Bank, the African Union and European institutions to advance child and adolescent health, primary health care, health systems strengthening and health financing. He co-authored UNICEF's Health Strategy 2016–2030 and the organization's Health Systems Strengthening Approach, and has played a leading role in promoting innovative partnerships and policy solutions that improve health outcomes for children and communities worldwide.