2025 UHC Day Champion
Saidu Ibrahim Bangura
Community Education and Training Officer for the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development, Sierra Leone
Browse other champions
- Countries driving UHC progress
- Dr. Ricardo Baptista Leite, Founder and President of UNITE - Parliamentarian’s Network for Global Health
- Dr. Viroj Tangcharoensathien, Vice Chair and Senior Advisor, International Health Policy Program Foundation, Thailand
- Solange Mbaye, Regional Programme Manager for Amref Health Africa, Senegal
- Levy Mkandawire, Programme Manager for Amref Health Africa, Zambia
- Concepta Kwaleyela, President of the Midwives Association of Zambia
- Professor Anne Beatrice Kihara, Former President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kenya
- Hester Mkwinda Nyasulu, Country Manager for Amref, Malawi
- Habibou Ouedraogo, Health Economist, Ministry of Health, Burkina Faso
- Hon. Hyun-Young Shin, Congresswoman, 21st National Assembly of Republic of Korea
Young people deserve a health system that invests in their futures, not one that leaves them behind. When we fund sexual and reproductive health, when we raise national health budgets, we give women, girls and adolescents the chance to thrive. Universal health coverage is achieved not only through policy, but through the courage to demand equity for those who are too often unheard.
Saidu is a young and dedicated health educator whose work has significantly advanced financial protection for health, particularly for underserved rural women and girls. His advocacy focuses on strengthening health financing systems to improve access to essential sexual and reproductive health services. Through persistent engagement with policymakers and community stakeholders, he has championed increased investments in health as a pathway to equity and resilience.
Recently, Saidu secured a grant from Amref Health Africa to promote comprehensive sexuality education in schools, further reinforcing his commitment to empowering adolescents and young people. As an active member of the WHO CSO Commission, he is leading a nationwide advocacy effort urging the government to raise the health budget from 9% to 15%, in alignment with the Abuja Declaration. Saidu’s work is contributing to a more inclusive, better-funded health system that protects vulnerable populations from financial hardship.
