Samuel Moro
Epidemiologist/Public Health Consultant
Ornex
Summary
A results-driven public health professional with over fifteen years of expertise in epidemiology, disease control, routine immunization, and emergency preparedness and response. Recognized for innovative problem-solving, strategic efficiency, and a commitment to excellence, consistently delivering impactful solutions that enhance community health outcomes. Highly organized and adept at managing complex projects, prioritizing tasks, and meeting critical deadlines. Known for an open, honest, and reliable approach, fostering strong professional relationships with exceptional interpersonal skills. Dedicated to advancing public health through evidence-based strategies, collaboration, and unwavering commitment to improving lives.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Technical Officer, Epidemic and Pandemic Mgt Dept
World Health Organization HQ
08.2023 - 04.2025
- Contributed to technical initiatives related to coronaviruses, including COVID-19, by developing and revising guidance and guidelines.
- Assisted in crafting a global, evidence-based strategy for addressing high-threat respiratory pathogens.
- Facilitated knowledge sharing with expert networks and partners, identified knowledge gaps, and developed study protocols to address these gaps.
- Collaborated with the knowledge transfer team to create user-friendly materials for risk communication and training purposes.
- Partnered with WHO regional and country offices to develop strategic plans aimed at strengthening regional and national responses to COVID-19.
- Supported the COVID-19 technical lead within the incident management structure and worked closely with WHO teams, departments, and partner agencies to address diverse aspects of public health response to COVID-19.
Epidemiologist Consultant, HIM, AEE, ARC Dept
World Health Organization
09.2022 - 07.2023
- Synthesized and interpreted acute public health events data and information.
- Ensured data collected are reflected on the WHO website and other information channels, as needed.
- Summaries of acute public health signals provided in information channels.
- Developed and disseminated technical documents, presentations, briefings, situation reports, updates, risk assessments and public health situation analysis using standard tools and templates, or custom formats as required.
- Reviewed and responded to enquiries from WHO colleagues across all levels of the organization as well as external partners.
- Disseminated information products as above.
- Synthesized data related to acute events.
- Developed analysis of acute event data to inform evidence-based operational decision-making.
- Monitored databases related to acute events; Performed analysis provided summaries of implications.
Field Epidemiologist
World Health Organization Country Office
08.2021 - 06.2022
- Offered technical support for COVID-19 preparedness and response efforts.
- Assisted in strengthening routine immunization systems and processes.
- Provided expertise in enhancing disease surveillance mechanisms.
- Played a key role in developing situational analysis reports.
- Supported the Ministry of Health (MOH) and County Health Departments in formulating results-driven annual work plans.
- Conducted integrated supportive supervision visits to health facilities and communities to monitor and improve routine immunization activities.
- Collaborated with various sectors and NGOs in planning, executing, and monitoring health programs, including joint supportive supervision efforts.
- Contributed to building local staff capacity through mentorship, workshops, and hands-on training.
- Delivered technical support to MOH and County Health Departments to bolster health emergency preparedness and response strategies.
Field Epidemiologist
World Health Organization Country Office
06.2018 - 06.2021
- Provided assistance in coordinating, planning, and monitoring the COVID-19 response.
- Offered technical expertise in surveillance, epidemiological investigations, contact tracing, and adjustments to social distancing measures.
- Supported capacity-building initiatives for local staff on COVID-19 surveillance and response.
- Contributed to the planning, execution, and evaluation of COVID-19 mass vaccination campaigns.
- Assisted in risk communication, community engagement, and infodemic management efforts.
- Delivered operational and logistical support during the COVID-19 response.
- Undertook additional responsibilities related to COVID-19 response activities.
Surge Epidemiologist
World Health Organization Country Office
04.2017 - 08.2017
- Delivered technical support during the cholera outbreak, contributing to response efforts and outbreak management.
- Assisted in developing and implementing surveys and monitoring/surveillance systems for the detection, verification, and response to public health incidents.
- Supported the establishment and operational functionality of Rapid Response Teams and Public Health Management Committees to address potential health hazards.
- Collated and verified data on reported outbreaks and rumours from multiple sources, ensuring accuracy and reliability.
- Facilitated the development and implementation of early warning surveillance systems (both event-based and indicator-based) for epidemic and pandemic-prone diseases, enabling early detection and rapid response, including conducting field investigations.
- Provided technical assistance in vulnerability assessments and risk mapping to identify and mitigate public health risks.
- Prepared and disseminated disease outbreak news, technical documents, and updates to relevant stakeholders for timely information sharing.
- Led weekly and monthly surveillance review meetings, including tracking key performance indicators to evaluate surveillance effectiveness.
Consultant Epidemiologist
World Health Organization
04.2016 - 12.2016
- Provided technical advice to the District Health Management Team (DHMT) and partners on developing and implementing epidemiological strategies for Ebola surveillance and response within the context of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR).
- Delivered training to DHMT and health facility staff on topics including IDSR, community-based surveillance, the new EVD swabbing policy, contact tracing, public health emergency management operations, rapid response, and case investigations.
- Supported DHMT in conducting supportive supervision and on-the-job training at health facility levels to enhance capacity building.
- Facilitated the establishment and operationalization of the district Rapid Response Team and Public Health Emergency Management Committee.
- Organized and led district surveillance review meetings (weekly and monthly), tracking performance indicators such as timeliness and completeness of reporting.
- Contributed to the development of information products and reports, including weekly bulletins, situation reports, and outbreak investigation reports.
- Provided technical guidance for the implementation and maintenance of electronic IDSR (e-IDSR) systems, including conducting descriptive and analytical studies.
- Supported the investigation of suspected epidemic-prone diseases such as Polio, Yellow Fever, Ebola Virus Disease, and Measles.
- Assisted in implementing Community-Based Surveillance (CBS) systems for priority diseases, conditions, and events, including cross-border and points-of-entry surveillance.
Technical Officer (Disease Control/EPI)
Ghana Health Service
01.2006 - 03.2016
- Investigated suspected outbreaks and rumours of diseases, including Polio (AFP), Measles, Meningitis, and Yellow Fever, while tracking and monitoring disease trends and thresholds for epidemic-prone diseases and other public health concerns within the district.
- Facilitated daily and weekly record reviews at health facilities, validated surveillance data to ensure consistency and quality, and compiled and submitted weekly and monthly surveillance reports to the regional surveillance department.
- Oversaw the collection, proper storage, and transportation of specimens (e.g., stool and blood samples) for laboratory investigations and tracked key surveillance indicators, such as AFP, within the district.
- Provided weekly epidemiological updates to the District Health Management Team (DHMT) and supported data entry into the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS).
- Planned, organized, and facilitated training sessions for health personnel, while monitoring key surveillance indicators, such as the timeliness and completeness of reporting, through regular supervision visits to health facilities.
- Developed and regularly updated epidemic preparedness plans for diseases like Cholera, Yellow Fever, and Meningitis, as well as action plans for the Epidemiology Unit of the district health directorate.
- Coordinated immunization activities, including national campaigns for Polio, Measles, Tetanus, and Meningitis, while tracking and analysing immunization indicators (e.g., coverage, dropout rates, and vaccine wastage rates).
- Assessed and estimated logistical needs for both surveillance and immunization activities, monitored cold chain systems to ensure functionality, and supported intensification programs to improve routine immunization efforts.
- Facilitated the formation of the district public health emergency management committee and rapid response team, providing timely feedback on Surveillance and EPI activities to health facilities and stakeholders.
Education
MSc. - International Humanitarian Affairs
University of York
09.2019 - 09.2021
MPH - Epidemiology and Disease Control
University of Ghana School of Public Health
08.2013 - 07.2014
BSc. - Public Health
Catholic University College of Ghana
08.2008 - 06.2010
Dip. - Community Health
College of Health
10.2002 - 09.2005
Certificate - Theology in Foundational Biblical Studies
Global University of Theological Studies
St. Louis, Missouri 03.2012 - 07.2013
Skills
- Teamwork: (eg, collaborated with local health authorities and policymakers to contain localized measles and pertussis outbreaks in Lao PDR)
- Communication: (eg, developed and disseminated epidemiological information products)
- Prioritization and Multitasking: (prioritized tasks for resource allocation; performed data analysis and report writing while preparing weekly COVID-19 briefing notes)
- Analytical skills: (eg, analyzed complex data using excel, R, etc)
- Leadership and Management skills: (eg, led a six-member investigation team to investigate unknown reported deaths in a remote village in South Sudan)
Accomplishments
- Coordinated the preparation and publication of more than 20 editions of the monthly global COVID-19 epidemiological updates, supported over five COVID-19 risk assessments at the global level.
- Developed monthly immunization and surveillance bulletin, trained over 200 staff on cold chain and vaccine management in Lao PDR.
- Supported in the implementation community-based surveillance in Sierra Leone.
- Trained over 50 local staff on Ebola laboratory protocols, supported in implementing IDSR in Sierra Leone, developed weekly epidemiological bulletin, led investigation of suspected epidemic-prone diseases.
- Coordinated the preparation and dissemination of over 12 weekly cholera situational bulletins, conducted cholera outbreak desk review.
Training And Professional Development
- Health Emergency Preparedness, Response and Resilience (HEPR) Financing, WHO Health Emergencies (WHE) Programme, 04/25/25, 05/09/25
- Executive Short Course in Health Emergencies in Large Populations, Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Studies, University of Geneva, 05/27/24, 06/07/24
- Introduction to Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS), OpenWHO, 12/16/23
- Pandemic and Epidemic-Prone Diseases, OpenWHO, 10/14/23
- Disaster Epidemiology: Overview of Disaster Epidemiology (0.1 CEU), US CDC, 10/13/23
- Project Management in Global Health, University of Washington, 06/2022, 09/2022
- COVID-19 Recovery for Routine Immunization Programmes Fellowship Training, WHO/Boost, 05/2022, 08/2022
- Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) and COVID-19 Management Webinar Series, African Centre for Disease Control, 09/16/21, 11/11/21
- WHO Scholar Course on Immunization Agenda 2030, Geneva Learning Foundation, 09/13/21, 11/19/21
- Emerging Respiratory Viruses, including COVID-19: Methods for Detection, Prevention, Response, and Control, WHE Programme (online), 10/07/20
- COVID-19 Vaccine-Specific Resources, WHO, 03/17/21
- First WHO Infodemic Manager Training, 11/02/20, 11/26/20
- Epidemiology for Global Health (Online Training), University of Washington
- Public Health Principles in Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (Online), Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and Chinese University of Hong Kong, 08/08/16, 10/19/16
- Incident Management System: Introduction to Health Sector Emergency Response Management, WHO, 08/2017
- Bioterrorism Preparedness: Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Public Health Surveillance, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health (online), 10/10/20
- High-Quality Measles and Rubella SIAs (Ongoing), Agora Online Training, UNICEF
- WHO Scholar Course on Global Routine Immunization Practice
- Planning for Immunization, UNICEF, 08/10/18
- Leadership and Management in Health, University of Washington, 09/2018, 12/2018
- Stop Transmission of Polio Field Training, US CDC, Uganda, 06/04/18, 06/15/18
- Core Commitments for Children (CCCs), Agora Online Training, UNICEF, 03/04/18
- Principles Guiding Humanitarian Action, UNICEF Fundamentals of Humanitarian Action Modules (Agora Online Training), 03/2018, 04/2018
- Measles Control in Emergencies, Agora Online Training, UNICEF, 02/26/18
- Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (Online Training), WHO Course Catalog, 09/2017
- Data Quality, Global Health E-Learning Centre/USAID, 04/03/17
- Monitoring and Evaluation of Malaria Programmes, USAID/Measure Evaluation, 01/31/18
- Logistics for Health Commodities, Global Health E-Learning Centre/USAID/JHU, 12/2017
- UN Course on Prevention of Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Abuse of Authority, 07/10/17
- District Health Information System-2 Training, MOH/WHO, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 08/24/16, 08/25/16
- Basic E-learning Course on Human Rights and Health, Pan American Health Organization, 05/2016, 06/2016
- Methods of Risk Assessment in Planning for Disasters, Columbia Regional Learning Centre, 03/2016
- Surveillance and Forecasting of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Columbia Regional Learning Centre, 03/2016
- Introduction to Project Management (Module 1), Last Mile Learning, 02/2016
- Introduction to Disaster Risk Management, World Bank Group, 01/2016, 02/2016
- E-Learning Course on Basics of Health Economics (Cohort 2), World Bank Group, 11/2016, 12/2016
- Leadership Development Program, Ghana Health Service/UNICEF, Tamale, Ghana, 04/2012, 11/2012
- Entomological Technician Training, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana, 08/2011
- Logistic Management of Public Sector Health Commodities, Ghana Health Service/USAID, Accra, Ghana, 04/2011
- District Health Systems Operations, Rural Health Training School, Kintampo, Ghana, 03/2008, 04/2008
- District Health Planning, Analysis, and Reporting Tool (DIHPART), GHS, Tamale, Ghana, 09/2010
- Capacity Building on High Impact Rapid Delivery, GHS/UNICEF, Tamale, Ghana, 09/2009
- Communication for Development Training, UNICEF, Tamale, Ghana, 11/2010
- Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses, GHS/UNICEF, Wulensi, Ghana, 09/2008
- Disease Surveillance (Public Health Emergency Training Series), University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 11/2015
- Contact Investigation (Public Health Emergency Training Series), University of Minnesota School of Public Health, 11/2015
- Certificate in Global Health (Geographic Approaches to Global Health), Global Health E-Learning Centre, 11/2015
- Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation Fundamentals, USAID/MEASURE Evaluation, 11/2015
- Certificate in Emergency Preparedness, American Red Cross/DisasterReady.org, 12/2015
Research
- Informing the pandemic response: the role of the World Health Organization COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update, Juniorcaius Ikejezie, Alessandro Miglietta, Ingrid Hammermeister Nezu, Sandra Adele, Samuel Moro, et al., BMJ, 2024, https://gh.bmj.com/content/9/4/e014466
- COVID-19 Global risk assessment, Technical document, 02/06/25, https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-global-risk-assessment
- Stakeholder perspective about the food security situation in the Northern Region of Ghana, Student research (MSc), Unpublished
- Alcohol consumption among the youth, Student research (MPH)
Training
- World Health Assembly (WHA) site event: Reverse Pitch Session Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia-Turning the tide: leveraging AI and innovative finance for healthcare resilience, InterContinental Hotel, Geneva, 05/20/25
- World Health Assembly (WHA) site event: Kidney health matters: A policy imperative for economic resilience by Devex, InterContinental Hotel, Geneva, 05/21/25
- WHO Meeting on Advancing Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), 12/11/23 to 12/13/23, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Health system building under adversity: prioritizing the priorities towards an equitable and resilient future by Dr Awad Mataria, Director, UHC/Health Systems, WHO, 03/22/24, Online
- Update on the current epidemiology and impact of COVID-19, WHE deep dive session, by Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Director (a.i), Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management Department, WHE, Geneva
- Targeting Universal Health Coverage: the case of maternal and neonatal health, presented by Prof Richard Adanu, Dean of the University of Ghana School of Public Health, 11/07/14
- Health in the Post 2015 Agenda by Dr Sally Anne, WHO Country Office Ghana
- MDGs, SDGs and the Post-2015 Agenda from the perspective of Ghana presented by Ruby Sandhu-Rojon, UN Resident Coordinator, Ghana, 10/31/13
Timeline
Technical Officer, Epidemic and Pandemic Mgt Dept
World Health Organization HQ
08.2023 - 04.2025
Epidemiologist Consultant, HIM, AEE, ARC Dept
World Health Organization
09.2022 - 07.2023
Field Epidemiologist
World Health Organization Country Office
08.2021 - 06.2022
MSc. - International Humanitarian Affairs
University of York
09.2019 - 09.2021
Field Epidemiologist
World Health Organization Country Office
06.2018 - 06.2021
Surge Epidemiologist
World Health Organization Country Office
04.2017 - 08.2017
Consultant Epidemiologist
World Health Organization
04.2016 - 12.2016
MPH - Epidemiology and Disease Control
University of Ghana School of Public Health
08.2013 - 07.2014
Certificate - Theology in Foundational Biblical Studies
Global University of Theological Studies
03.2012 - 07.2013
BSc. - Public Health
Catholic University College of Ghana
08.2008 - 06.2010
Technical Officer (Disease Control/EPI)
Ghana Health Service
01.2006 - 03.2016
Dip. - Community Health
College of Health
10.2002 - 09.2005
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