VP World Bank HDN to Visit Gambian VP

The Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education has announced that Ms. Joy Phumaphi, Vice President of the World Bank Human Development Network, will be on an official visit to the sector from August 20th to the 22nd, 2008. She will work with officials of the sector to strengthen the already cordial relationship with a view to provide her with a stronger basis to give her endorsement to the newly prepared EFA/FTI proposal which should be presented to the board for approval in September 2008.

Her Excellency, Ms. Phumaphi and delegation will pay the usual ‘courtesy call’ to the Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia to register her compliments and appreciation for the smooth relationship between the World Bank and the Gambian Government.

Her Excellency Joy P Humaphi, a Botswana national, is Vice President of the World Bank’s Human Development Network. Before joining the Bank in February, 2007, Joy served as Assistant Director General for Family and Community Health at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva, and represented the World Health Organisation on the Board of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GA VI).

From 1994-2003, Ms. Phumaphi served variously as a Member of Parliament, a Cabinet Minister with responsibility for lands and housing-in the course of which she developed Botswana’s first national housing policy-and Minister for Health. During her tenure as Minister, Ms. Phumaphi restructured the health ministry to make it more focused on results, and implementing a multi-sectoral plan to provide prevention, care, and treatment services for HIV/ AIDS.

Joy Phumaphi holds a Master of Science degree in Financial Accounting and Decision Sciences from Miami University, Ohio.