Technical Advisor/Consultant/Researcher
Zipporah Ali is a Palliative Care Physician and a Public Health Specialist. She was instrumental in the setting up of Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association (KEHPCA) and worked as the Executive Director of KEHPCA, a position she held for 15 years until her retirement in 2021. She serves on the boards of the African Palliative Care Association, the Alzheimer Dementia Organization-Kenya and NCD Alliance East Africa. She has served on many other boards including International Children’s Palliative Care Network, International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care, Worldwide Hospice and Palliative Care Alliance, Public Health & Palliative Care International, City Cancer Challenge and Africa Organization for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC) East Africa. Dr. Ali has been and continues to be involved in advocacy and creating awareness on pain relief and palliative care in Kenya and beyond for children and adults. She is an advocate for the prevention of NCDs, as well as Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In her leadership role as the Executive Director for KEHPCA, she was very instrumental in fostering strong relationships with the Ministry of Health to integrate palliative care into government hospitals. She was also instrumental in advocating for palliative care to be included in the undergraduate medical and nursing schools in Kenya.
Dr. Ali has been involved in a number of activities at the World Health Assembly (Geneva) and the UN High Level Meetings on Non-communicable diseases. She is a strong advocate for the right to health for all and a supporter of the movement of meaningful involvement of persons living with serious health conditions and leaving no one behind.
She has received a number of awards in recognition of her work nationally and globally. These include:
- Building Leadership in Africa to Promote Equity in Palliative Care-EAPC 2023 Leadership Award
- Doctor of Law Honoris Causa-University of Dundee (2018)
- International Humanitarian Award-Women4Africa (2018)
- Social Impact Award for the Sub-Saharan Africa region-British Council (2018)
- Honorary Doctor of the University by Oxford Brookes University (2012)
- Individual Advocacy Award by the African Palliative Care Association and Open Society Foundations (2013
- African Palliative Care Award –(In recognition for being on the interim board and later serving on the board for 2 teams) -2007