Dr Mohamed Javid Abdelmoneim is a Sudanese Iranian emergency medicine doctor, with extensive experience in both the United Kingdom’s National Health Service and with MEDSF. Born in Cambridge, UK, he graduated with a degree in medicine from University College London, holds a diploma from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. Having joined MEDSF in September 2009 as an emergency doctor in Basra, Iraq, Dr Abdelmoneim has worked in medical and programme coordination roles since then in Haiti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Syria, Chad, Ukraine, UK, in Mediterranean search and rescue, and in Sierra Leone during the West Africa Ebola epidemic. His most recent roles with MEDSF have been as medical team leader in Gaza, Palestine, and as medical team leader in Omdurman, Sudan, until February 2025.Dr Abdelmoneim served on the board of MEDSF UK from May 2015 and was appointed its president in 2017, a role he held until 2021. Outside of medical roles and his time with MEDSF, he is also an experienced television presenter, having been nominated for both Emmy and BAFTA awards for his work on science documentary and health entertainment series which have appeared on Netflix, BBC, HBO, Channel 4, and Al Jazeera English.Dr Abdelmoneim was elected as International President for a three-year term by MEDSF’s International General Assembly, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 27 June 2025. He took up his role on 5 September 2025.

Oscar Bernal grew up and studied medicine in Colombia and has doctorate in public health from Spain. He has worked with MEDSF for more than 28 years in more than 20 countries, including Angola as a field doctor/surgeon, in Liberia (1995) as medical coordinator, Sudan (1996) as head of mission, Russia (1997) as project coordinator, and Guatemala (1999), Bolivia (2001), Indonesia (2007), and Colombia (2009) as a medical coordinator. Oscar has also worked as a technical adviser on infectious diseases from 2003 to 2009. He has participated in several MEDSF associations, including MEDSF France and MEDSF Spain, and was involved in the creation and development of MEDSF Latin America. He works as a professor and MPH coordinator in the University of Andes, Colombia. Oscar was elected to the International Board in 2023. 

Sam Bumicho is a medical and public health practitioner, with over 15 years of experience in humanitarian organisations. Sam endeavours to provide the best medical and public health approaches that put communities at the centre. He began his career with MEDSF in 2004 and has assisted in developing community-based strategies for our projects in Kenya. Sam is also the co-founder and executive director of Communities For Action, a Kenyan based non-governmental organisation that strives to empower communities with skills and basic resources to address their health problems with local solutions. From his home in Kenya, Sam continues to engage in discussions on equity, diversity, and inclusion through multiple international platforms as MEDSF’s International Vice President, a position he was elected to in 2021. He was re-elected to the board in June 2024.

Erastus Cheti gained an MsC in monitoring and evaluation in population and development, and a bachelor's degree in social sciences from The University of Nairobi. He joined MEDSF in Kenya in 2007 as project monitoring and evaluation lead/data manager where he stayed until 2016. He then took on the position of monitoring, evaluation, strategic information manager at PEPFAR agency in collaboration with Henry Jackson Foundation of Medical Research International. He became a board member of MEDSF Eastern Africa in 2019. In 2025, Erastus was re-elected as a member of the International Board.

Dr Isabelle Defourny trained as doctor before joining MEDSF in 1999, with her first mission in Yemen. Since then she has worked in Eritrea, Burundi, Liberia and Sudan. In 2004, she joined MEDSF Operational Centre Paris as programme manager before becoming a member of the Association’s board of directors and finally becoming Director of Operations until March 2022. In June 2022, Dr Isabelle Defourny was elected president of MEDSF France during the association’s 51st General Assembly.

Paula Gil Leyva studied nursing before she joined MEDSF in 2003, with her first mission as a nurse in Angola. Since then she has worked in Mozambique, Central African Republic, Angola again, and more recently in Spain, during our response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Over the course of her field work, she has held various positions, including field coordinator, medical coordinator, and project coordinator, before diversifying her experience and working in human resources, including as human resources coordinator. In addition to her nursing degrees, Paula holds a postgraduate degree in Gender and Equality studies from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. She was elected President of MEDSF Spain in October 2021.

Dr Saleem Kassam is a physician with a Masters in clinical epidemiology from the University of Toronto, where he also acquired a degree in adult cardiology and interventional cardiology. Saleem has worked with MEDSF since 1999, working in the field as a medical doctor and project coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Kenya and Haiti, as well as serving on the MEDSF Canada Board as Vice President from 2015 to 2020. Saleem was elected to the International Board in 2023. 

Katrin Kisswani has a nursing background. She started working with MEDSF in 2005 and has since worked in different contexts, mainly conflict settings, holding various coordination positions. Between 2009 and 2013, she was part of the Emergency unit of the Operational Centre of Brussels. From 2013 to 2022, Katrin was elected and served on the board of MEDSF Sweden, becoming President of MEDSF Sweden in 2015. Katrin was elected as the President of MEDSF Belgium and Operational Centre Brussels in 2024, for one year.

Bhelekazi Mdlalose is a registered nurse with 19 years of experience in the private and public health sectors. She worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MEDSF) for two years as the clinic activity manager for a sexual violence care project in South Africa. She played a critical role in Johannesburg’s response to COVID-19. Bhelekazi currently works as a nurse manager at St Alban’s College.

Before joining MEDSF, she worked for Gauteng Provincial Department of Health as a programme coordinator, overseeing 26 designated clinical forensic medicine. During this time, she trained over 100 doctors and professional nurses on the management of sexual violence cases.

Bhelekazi joined the International Board of MEDSF in 2025. 

Yves McGale is a Senior Partner and the Leader of the Global Strategists Group at financial services company Aon. Previously he served as Aon’s Chief Administration Officer for the Retirement Practice and the company’s US West Region Retirement Practice Leader. Yves earned a Bachelor degree in Actuarial Science from Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries in the US. He has over 30 years’ experience working with organisations on the financial and human capital management of their retirement and overall benefit programmes, concentrating on multi-country engagements. In 2023, Yves was selected to join the International Board as International Treasurer.

Dr Ali Ouattara is a medical doctor and public health expert with over 20 years of experience in healthcare in humanitarian settings. His career has spanned organisations like the International Organization for Migration, The Alliance for International Medical Action, and MEDSF. With MEDSF, he has worked in seven African countries, first as a national staff in Côte d'Ivoire in 2003 and up until 2015 when he was the Medical Coordinator MEDSF’s ebola response in Côte d'Ivoire. Dr Ouattara was the Regional Humanitarian Access and Networking Advisor for Sahel and West Africa for MEDSF’s operational centre in Brussels until he was elected as the President of MEDSF’s West and Central Africa (WaCA) Board in October 2024.

Dr Ouattara has served on multiple boards across the MEDSF movement before becoming the President of WaCA. He was on the board of MEDSF France for five years and was also a co-opted member of Epicentre and Logistique before becoming the Vice President of WaCA between 2020 and 2023.

Dr Teresa Bonyo began her professional experience with Médecins Sans Frontières (MEDSF) working on HIV and tuberculosis programmes in Southern Africa in 2013, and has since been a board member of MEDSF Germany and the President of MEDSF East Africa. She was elected to the International Board of MEDSF in 2025.

Teresa has 15 years of medical experience working across sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, spanning care in clinics and hospitals, clinical trial research, and management of large-scale community health and migration health programmes. Most recently, she served as the chief migration health officer for the International Organization for Migration in Sudan, working to improve health outcomes for migrants affected by the war in Sudan.

Teresa holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Liverpool, and degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Nairobi.

Dr Micaela Serafini, President of MEDSF Switzerland, brings over 20 years of experience in global health and humanitarian response, with leadership roles across MEDSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). She served as Medical Director of MEDSF Switzerland until 2020 and, from early 2021, led the ICRC Health Unit, overseeing health services for communitiess affected by war and violence in over 80 countries. 

A specialist in internal medicine trained in Argentina, Dr Serafini has committed more than a decade to fieldwork across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Her work encompasses emergency responses, outbreak control, and health system strengthening, always with a focus on addressing health needs and adapting health policies to complex humanitarian settings. Fluent in Spanish, English, and French, Dr Serafini is well-prepared to navigate the linguistic and cultural complexities of global health. She was elected President of MEDSF Switzerland in October 2024.

Eric Stobbaerts, elected to the International Board of Médecins Sans Frontières (MEDSF) in 2025, has worked with MEDSF and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) across more than 30 countries. He served as Executive Director of MEDSF-OCBA from 1998 to 2005, and led MEDSF Brazil from 2008 until 2012. From 2010 to 2015, he directed DNDi Latin America, and since 2016, he has served as DNDi’s international development director, building global partnerships for medical innovation.

Eric’s leadership has shaped strategic direction, advocacy, and the growth of medical and scientific programmes at MEDSF and DNDi. He holds degrees in business, economics, and international development, with further studies in global health.

Marc DuBois is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Geneva and a Senior Fellow at SOAS University of London. Formerly the General Director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MEDSF) UK/Ireland, Marc has worked as an independent consultant and researcher since 2014. He was elected to the International Board in 2025.

He first joined MEDSF in 1999, working in Sudan and Angola, before becoming an advisor and later the head of the humanitarian affairs department of MEDSF-OCA. Since leaving MEDSF, Marc has been a member of MEDSF-OCA's reflection and analysis network. Marc holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy and graduate degrees in development studies and law.