Our Board 

Beatriz Champagne has been dedicated to the prevention & control of NCDs in the Americas with the Healthy Americas’ Coalition (CLAS). CLAS promotes & defends policies for good nutrition, physical activity, tobacco & alcohol control. CLAS has 200+ member organisations and provides a coherent response from civil society on policy issues. She is immediate past Chair of the World Heart Federation Advocacy Committee. Having been born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and having grown up there, Beatriz’s roots and heart are in the developing world.

2009 Luther L. Terry Award for Exemplary Leadership in Tobacco Control, 2017 Sharjah NCD Advocacy Award, 2018 WHO World No Tobacco Day Award. BS summa cum laude U. of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, MS and Ph.D. Rutgers University, New Jersey.

Stefan Islandi holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies and Public Administration from Roskilde University (Denmark) and University of Edinburgh (Scotland). He is Director of the Danish NCD Alliance, which brings together some of Denmark’s largest patient organizations. With over 25 years of experience in development and humanitarian work, Stefan began his career with UNDP in Laos, before serving five years as a diplomat with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by leadership roles within the Red Cross. He has spent five years in Southeast Asia and a decade in Africa. A significant part of his time in Africa was as Head of Region for Danish Red Cross in East and the Horn of Africa, where he led large teams and worked closely with governments and hundreds of dedicated volunteers. He has operated in numerous African countries and led emergency operations in some of the world's most fragile regions.

Dr Ishu Kataria is a Senior Public Health Researcher at RTI International and Visiting Researcher at the Institute of Cancer Policy, King’s College London. She holds a PhD in Public Health and Nutrition and works on NCD prevention, cancer control, and youth health. She has experience in developing and implementing programs focused on adolescent NCDs, cancer prevention, and mental health. Dr Kataria is a member of the NCD Working Group on the WHO Youth Council and the Global Coordinator of the Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network. She also served as a Commissioner on the Lancet Commission on Women and Cancer and works closely with the Healthy India Alliance to support civil society advocacy on NCDs in India. Her work integrates equity and policy engagement, with a strong commitment to representing LMIC perspectives, voices of young people and PLWNCDs in the global NCD response.

Isabel is the CEO of City Cancer Challenge (C/Can), a leading city-based initiative supporting cities worldwide as they strive to enhance access to quality and equitable cancer care. C/Can inspires scalable community-led cancer care solutions, reshaping collaboration between the private and public sectors to design, plan, and implement effective strategies.

Passionate about advancing public health, Isabel was vital in founding C/Can and has played a pivotal role in transforming projects in 15+ cities into dynamic solutions for cancer care access. Previously, she held the position of Director of Partnerships at C/Can, and prior to that, she held leadership positions at the International Union for Cancer Control, driving membership growth and forging a successful public-private partnership model that resulted in a tenfold increase in income generation.

Isabel, a Barcelona native with an MBA from ESADE Business School, speaks multiple languages. She resides in Switzerland with her family and dogs.

Past President, East Africa NCD Alliance, Rwanda

Prof. Joseph Mucumbitsi is a Chief Consultant Pediatrician and Cardiologist at King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, and an Honorary Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rwanda. He holds an MMED in Pediatrics, a Fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology, and an MSc in Clinical Research from the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL), Belgium. As Rwanda’s first Pediatric Cardiologist and Coordinator of the National Cardiac Surgery Program from 2006, he has led the development of cardiac care services in partnership with the Ministry of Health. Joseph is a longtime member of the Rwanda National Technical Working Group on NCDs, shaping national policy and guidelines. He is a Founder and President of the Rwanda Heart Foundation and the Rwanda NCD Alliance. A founding member of the NCD Alliance East Africa, he served as Vice-President and President until February 2025, leading significant progress in advocacy for NCDs across Rwanda and the East African Community.

Lived Experience Board Member

I am Chikhulupiliro Stanley Ng’ombe, from Malawi, an LMICs in the Southern part of Africa. At 8 years old I was diagnosed with Leukaemia and epilepsy diagnosis after 3 months into chemotherapy as a side effect. Though our medical facilities do not offer state of the art medical care, All in all, I never allowed the condition to conquer me and I always live a full and joyous life. Early in my treatment doctors noticed my ability to talk and encourage fellow patients of all ages (something I must have got from my late mum). The doctors would use me to talk to other cancer patients and later various conditions. I set up a non-profit organisation called Cancer Survivors Quest in 2011, which is patient centred. We support patients in reducing out of pocket expenses, though we are not donor funded. Later in 2016 together with a couple of organisations we set up an NCD Alliance in Malawi.

Professor of Cardiology, Portugal (WHF Founding Member representative)

Consultant for RESET Alcohol Initiative, Vital Strategies

Currently working as the consultant to the RESET Alcohol initiative for Sri Lanka and working as a visiting lecturer at the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka. Elected Vice president of the largest alcohol prevention network, Movendi International and a Board member of Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA). Closely engage with NCD alliance in Sri Lanka from the inception and currently act as the president. Completed the social work studies in India and Health promotion studies in Canada.

Have been actively engaged in NCD control work since 1990 and specialize in NCD control through tobacco and alcohol control. Experienced in developing audio visual and printed materials on NCD control for campaigns and behaviour change communication. Activities invented by my guidance received international awards and recognitions. Have experience in working with government institutions, corporate sector and extensively work with community-based organisations. Passionate worker in the community level research and policy advocacy.

Laura holds a Master’s of Science degree in Nursing from the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, (Health Systems Management). She is the Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee for the Nurses and Midwives Council of Belize. As Chairperson of the National AIDs Commission, she championed an Equal Opportunity Bill to protect the human rights of vulnerable citizens. She also served on the Board for Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS-a regional CARICOM organization. She served on the Board of Directors for the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) to address non-communicable diseases and represented the HCC at regional and international meetings. She was the Speaker of the House of Representatives (2017-2020), joining the ranks of only two other women Speakers in Belize. She is also the recipient of several awards for my contribution to health and nursing.