Hillary Rodham Clinton greets Christine Ondoa

Christine Joyce Dradidi Ondoa is a physician and medical administrator who is regarded as one of Uganda's finest leaders, especially in ensuring that the quality of health service delivery in Uganda is improved, and discipline and

ethical code Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of b ...

of conduct among health workers is observed. She is a Ugandan

paediatrician Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many of their yout ...

and Christian leader. She currently serves as the

director general A director general, general director or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''general directors'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'') is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer ...

of the

Uganda AIDS Commission The Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) established by parliamentary statute in 1992. Its headquarters are currently located in the capital city Kampala, and it receives funding from both the parliament and outsid ...

. She was appointed to that position by the

president of Uganda The president of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and the head of government of Uganda. The President (government title), president leads the Executive (government), executive branch of the government of Uganda and is the commander- ...

in February 2014. Prior to that, she served as a senior presidential advisor to President

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa (born 15 September 1944) is a Ugandan politician and military officer who is the ninth and current president of Uganda since 1986. As of 2025, he is the third- longest consecutively serving current non-royal n ...

Public Health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

. She was a member of the board of directors of the

Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization GAVI, officially Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (previously the GAVI Alliance, and before that the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) is a public–private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunization ...

(GAVI). She was

Minister of Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare spending and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental heal ...

in the Ugandan Cabinet from 2011 to 2013. She was appointed to that position on 27 May 2011, but was replaced by

Ruhakana Rugunda Ruhakana Rugunda (born 7 November 1947) is a Ugandan physician and politician who was Prime Minister of Uganda from 2014 to 2021. He held a long series of cabinet posts under President Yoweri Museveni beginning in 1986. He served as Uganda's M ...

on 23 May 2013. On account of being a cabinet minister, she was a member of the Ugandan Parliament, in an ''ex officio'' capacity. Prior to that, she was the executive director of

Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH), also known as Mbarara Hospital or Mbarara University Teaching Hospital, is a government-owned healthcare facility located in Mbarara City, in the Western Region of Uganda. It serves as a referral center ...

, one of the fourteen regional referral hospitals in Uganda.

Early life and education

Ondoa was born in

Moyo District Moyo District is a district in Northern Region of Uganda. Like many other Ugandan districts, it is named after its "chief town", Moyo, where the district headquarters are located. Location Moyo District is located in Uganda's extreme north, in ...

on 21 October 1968. She attended

Mount Saint Mary's College Namagunga Mt. St. Mary's College Namagunga is an all-girl boarding secondary school located in Mukono District in Uganda. The school is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lugazi. Location The school is on the Kampala–Jinja Highway, approx ...

for her high school studies. She holds the degree of

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

(

MBChB A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

), obtained in 1994, from

Makerere University Medical School The Makerere University School of Medicine (MUSM), also known as the Makerere University Medical School, is the school of medicine of Makerere University, Uganda's oldest and largest public university. The medical school has been part of Makerer ...

(MUMS), the oldest medical school in East Africa. She also holds the degree of Master of Medicine in Pediatrics (

MMed Master of Medicine (MMed, MM) is a postgraduate professional clinical degree awarded by medical schools to physicians following a period of instruction, supervised clinical rotations, and examination. As of May 2009, the following universities ...

), obtained in 2000, also from MUMS. In March 2011, she graduated from the

Uganda Management Institute Uganda Management Institute (UMI) is a government-owned national center for training, research, and consultancy in the field of management and administration in Uganda. It is one of the nine public universities and degree-awarding institutions in ...

with the postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration & Management ( Dip.PA&M). In 2012 she graduated from the same institution with the degree of Master of Management Studies ( MMS). She has now enrolled in the Institute of National Transformation for her PhD. She did her internship at

St. Francis Hospital Nsambya St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, commonly known as Nsambya Hospital, is a hospital in Kampala, the capital city, capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country. Location Nsambya Hospital is located 2.7Km from Kampala Central Business Distr ...

from 1994 until 1995. She stayed on at Nsambya from 1995 until 1997, when she went back to Makerere University Medical School for her postgraduate training in

pediatrics Pediatrics (American English) also spelled paediatrics (British English), is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, Adolescence, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, pediatrics covers many o ...

. Between 2000 and 2009, she worked in

Arua Regional Referral Hospital Arua Regional Referral Hospital, commonly known as Arua Hospital is a hospital in the town of Arua, in Northern Uganda. It is the referral hospital for the districts of Adjumani, Arua, Koboko, Maracha, Moyo, Nebbi, Yumbe, and Zombo. The hosp ...

as a consultant pediatrician. Between 2009 and 2010, she worked at

Jinja Regional Referral Hospital Jinja Regional Referral Hospital, commonly known as Jinja Hospital, is a hospital in the city of Jinja, Uganda, Jinja, in the Eastern Region, Uganda, Eastern Region of Uganda. This 600-bed medical facility is the largest hospital in eastern Uga ...

as senior pediatrician and later promoted to hospital director and senior consultant pediatrician. She also served as the chairperson of the governing council for Jinja School of Nursing and Midwifery. From January 2011 until May 2011, she worked as the executive director at

, the teaching hospital of

Mbarara University of Science and Technology Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST), commonly known as Mbarara University, is a public university in Uganda. Mbarara University commenced student intake and instruction in 1989. It is one of the ten public universities and degre ...

(MUST). From May 2011 to May 2013, she was Uganda's

Personal details

Ondoa is the mother of a son named Reuben Azi, born in 1996. She is a

born-again Christian To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...

, and was ordained as pastor, on 23 April 2011, by Bishop Julius Peter Oyet at LifeLine Ministries at

Mbuya Mbuya is a hill in southeastern Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The hill rises above sea level. The name also applies to the upscale residential neighborhood that sits on that hill, as well as the government military installations located ...

Nakawa Division Nakawa Division is one of the five administrative divisions of the city of Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. The town of Nakawa is the site of the division headquarters. Location Nakawa Division lies in the eastern part of the city ...

, Kampala. On 28 January 2012, Ondoa was married to Thomas Udong P'ongona at Church of the Resurrection, Bugolobi.

References

External links

Website of the Parliament of UgandaWebsite of LifeLine MinistriesEuropean Times
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ondoa, Christine 1968 births Living people Makerere University alumni Uganda Management Institute alumni Ugandan pediatricians Ugandan Christians People from Adjumani District Madi people People from West Nile sub-region Government ministers of Uganda 21st-century Ugandan women politicians 21st-century Ugandan politicians Ugandan healthcare managers Women government ministers of Uganda People educated at Mount Saint Mary's College Namagunga

Early life and education

Personal details

See also

References

External links