Nyangi Philemon Ngomu is a registered nurse and health leader in South Africa. He currently serves as the national professional officer for the Africa regional office of the World Health Organization, where he coordinates medical services and medical evacuations. He previously worked as a South Africa-based regional nursing advisor for a program on global nursing capacity-building run by ICAP, an entity created by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health to deliver transformative solutions to strengthen health systems in countries worldwide. He has earned an advanced health management program certificate from the Foundation for Professional Development in South Africa in collaboration with Yale University. Nyangi earned a Master of Science in Nursing, Critical Care, and Trauma Nursing from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a postgraduate diploma in HIV/AIDS Management from the University of Stellenbosch.
Applied Project Title: Improving Risk Management for Staff Health and Safety at the UN Duty Stations in South Africa
The South African health system faces challenges exacerbated by poor socio-economic factors that result in a high risk of violence and injuries for citizens and visitors. This project focused on assessing and mitigating these risks for United Nations staff working and living in Pretoria and satellite offices. The proposed intervention included four steps: a risk management assessment to identify potential threats to staff; development of an improved Risk Management Framework with appropriate measures to lessen those threats; providing staff with tools and training to protect their health and safety; and regular monitoring and review of risk management practices to ensure ongoing compliance with regulations.