Dr. Nigina Muntean

Dr. Nigina Muntean is Chief of Staff at UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, where she serves as a strategic advisor to the Executive Director and supports the alignment of institutional priorities, governance, and organizational transformation. With over 25 years of experience spanning medicine, public health, and international development, Dr. Muntean brings deep expertise in women’s health, gender equality and equity, and system-wide innovation and transformation. Most recently, she served as Chief of the Innovation and Transformation Branch, where she led UNFPA’s global innovation portfolio and business transformation agenda, advancing institutional reform, catalytic financing, and investment partnerships. Her leadership has been instrumental in strengthening organizational coherence and future readiness through major initiatives such as the UNFPA Business Model Review and contributions to the UN80 reform agenda. Previously, Dr. Muntean established and led UNFPA’s Innovation Unit in the Executive Office, where she architected flagship platforms that mobilize resources and partnerships to close gender gaps in science, technology, and finance, including under the Equalizer Accelerator Fund, the Equity 2030 Alliance, and the WomenX Collective. Dr. Muntean’s career reflects a unique combination of frontline clinical practice, policy leadership, and global strategic engagement. She has worked with UNFPA, the World Health Organization, the International Planned Parenthood Federation, and Médecins Sans Frontières, across the Pacific, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia at country, regional, and global levels. Her extensive field experience, including in Uzbekistan, Papua New Guinea, Ethiopia, and The Gambia, has provided her with first-hand insight into the complexities of advancing health, gender equality, and resilience in both development and humanitarian contexts. Dr. Muntean holds a Medical Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology, a PhD in Medicine from Tashkent Medical Academy, and a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.