Leonard Bikinesi is a Specialist Family Physician with 15 years of clinical and public health experience, including HIV, TB, and Hepatitis care and treatment, quality management, and workforce development. He is currently serving as the Program Director of IntraHealth Namibia. In this role, he provides technical guidance, oversees five major projects, and supports the business design and expansion of the organization. From 2017 to 2024, Dr. Bikinesi served as the Chief HIV Clinical Mentor at Namibia’s Ministry of Health and Social Services, where he led and shaped the Mentorship Program, which has been recognized and adopted by other African countries. This program was instrumental in decentralizing HIV care and implementing key initiatives that contributed to Namibia achieving PEPFAR targets. His efforts included improving viral load monitoring, optimizing care and treatment, establishing patient-centered care models, and developing national HIV guidelines.

Leonard has served as a Project ECHO Africa Consultant for the University of New Mexico, ECHO Institute In this capacity, he has supported the implementation of ECHO programs across Africa, training countries and organizations on the Project ECHO model and tele-mentoring. He supported WHO AFRO’s emergency preparedness SURGE program in establishing and training staff on the use of Digital Learning Platforms in Rwanda, Botswana, and Tanzania. Additionally, he has worked with various organizations and Ministries of Health in Africa, providing technical assistance in the establishment and implementation of Clinical Mentorship Programs, demonstrating his expertise in healthcare capacity building.

With an educational background that includes a Master of Medicine from Stellenbosch University and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Zimbabwe, Leonard has also made significant contributions to research and publications. His work has been featured in various journals and conferences. Throughout his career, he has played a critical role in developing guidelines and leading projects on HIV drug resistance, recency testing, urine drug levels, and adapting healthcare programs to respond to emerging challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.