Joy Phumaphi also serves as the Co-Chair of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) – an independent monitoring and accountability body tasked with ensuring preparedness for global health crises. Co-convened by the Director-General of the World Health Organization and the President of the World Bank, the GPMB provides an independent and comprehensive appraisal to policymakers and the world about progress toward increased preparedness and response capacity for disease outbreaks and other emergencies with health consequences. In this role, Joy has been at the forefront of working with the Africa CDC and other global health entities to concretise mechanisms for global health security and ensuring Africa takes a leading role in redefining the global health architecture.

Joy is currently serving as the Chairperson of the National Gender Commission in Botswana and was previously the Minister for Health in Botswana from 1999 to 2003. In this capacity, she is recognised for introducing the first public sector universal antiretroviral program in the developing world. She was awarded the Stanley H. Knowles Humanitarian Award in 2003. Before her tenure as Minister for Health, she was the Principal Local Government Auditor and subsequently served as a Member of Parliament, holding portfolios for Lands and Housing. In this role, she launched the country’s first housing policy, which mandated local authorities to provide housing for all vulnerable individuals.

Joy later joined the World Health Organization (WHO) as the Assistant Director-General for Family and Community Health. She also served as Vice President for Human Development at the World Bank where she oversaw a dramatic expansion of the network evaluation programme, introduction of health results-based financing, growth in the World Bank’s contribution to basic education, and the Network’s extensive role in expansion of social protection programs during the 2007/8 Global Food and Financial crises.

In her extensive portfolio, she has co-chaired the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Independent Accountability Panel for Every Woman, Every Child, Every Adolescent, and has been a member of the UN High-Level Panel on Global Response to Health Crises. Additionally, she has served as a member of the UN Reference Group on Economics, and as a UN Commissioner on HIV/AIDS and Governance. Her most recent role was as Interim co-CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Madam Phumaphi continues to contribute her expertise on the boards of several international organizations and serves as an advisor to multiple global health initiatives, including, GAVI, CIFF (Children’s Investment Fund Foundation); ACHAP (African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership); MMV (Medicines for Malaria Venture), Save the Children, and as an advisor for Hilleman Laboratories at the Welcome Trust, the Gates Foundation Malaria Program, the Harvard Health Ministerial Leadership program, the Uppsala Health Summit, Aspen Institute’s AMP Health’s Leadership Council and Board, as well as blue orange, and the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). She is a distinguished African American Institute Fellow and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Botswana and a Master’s in Finance, Accounting, and Decision Sciences from Miami University in the US.