Dr. Emmanuel Luyirika

Dr. Luyirika is the Executive Director of the African Palliative Care Association, a pan-African organization with programs in several African countries. He also serves as a board member of the World Hospice Palliative Care and Alliance and is a member of the Executive Board of Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services for People with Disability in Uganda (CoRSU) Hospital in Uganda, a charitable rehabilitation and plastic surgery service for children and adults with disabilities. Previously, Dr. Luyirika held the role of Country Director of Mildmay International in Uganda, worked for the Department of Health in South Africa, and lectured in Family Medicine at the Medical University of Southern Africa. He has served on several technical committees for Uganda’s Ministry of Health, the Uganda AIDS Commission, World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and UNAIDS, and as Vice Chairperson of the Council of the Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care in Africa. He has also been part of the International Atomic Energy Agency/WHO imPACT missions and WHO Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Tuberculosis (TB) review missions across Africa. He has also served on a committee of the American Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, reviewing the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)-funded programs. Dr. Luyirika’s professional career has focused on contributing to health systems that ensure access to care for people with HIV, disabilities, and other conditions requiring palliative care. He advocates for cross-professional and cross-cultural partnerships to develop better technological and non-technological solutions to health challenges in Africa and beyond. He believes in the importance of holistic care throughout the disease trajectory to improve patients experiences and quality of life.