Ms. Asiya Odugleh-Kolev

Asiya Odugleh-Kolev is responsible for the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global efforts on community engagement for quality people-centred health services and is based at the WHO Headquarters in the Department of Integrated Health Services. Born in Somalia and raised in the United Kingdom (UK), Asiya’s diverse background fuels her commitment to health equity and social justice. Asiya qualified as a Registered General Nurse and holds degrees in Third World Studies with Anthropology, Print Journalism, and Public Health from UK academic institutions. In 2017, she was awarded Honorary Membership of the UK Faculty of Public Health. Asiya’s career is rooted in community development, starting as a youth volunteer, followed by a professional role in local government supporting refugee communities. In 1999, she joined UNICEF Somalia to work in programme communication and social mobilization. Asiya joined WHO In 2001, applying WHO’s Communication-for-Behavioural-Impact (COMBI) methodology to the control, elimination, and eradication of infectious diseases. She transitioned to the Health Emergencies Programme in 2008 to integrate behavioral and social interventions within epidemic readiness and response. Leveraging her multi-disciplinary background and professional and personal experiences, Asiya advocates for transdisciplinary innovations, bridging science, technology, and the arts to transform and support the health and well-being of people, systems, and the planet.