Dr. Esther Muia is a national of Kenya and serving as UNFPA Representative in Zimbabwe from October, 2017. She served as UNFPA Representative in South Africa from 22 April 2014 to 4 September 2017. She served as UNFPA Representative in LAO PDR from 2011 to 2014.
She joined UNFPA in March 2003 as an HIV adviser, on the Country Support Team in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the provided technical assistance to countries in Africa as well capacity building at the regional level on HIV and Reproductive Health issues.
From 2007-2011 she was the Deputy Representative in UNFPA Tanzania Country Office and provided leadership in programme implementation in the context of Delivering as One UN as part of UN reforms. She was also trained by the UNSSC as a UN wide resource person and facilitator for UNDAF and UN reform processes as well as change management and has supported several countries since 2004. In addition, she has undergone Leadership Skills Training in the School of Management at the Cranefield University in the UK.
Prior to joining UNFPA, Dr Muia worked as a medical practitioner in various hospitals in Kenya from 1981 to 1985. She was lecturer at the University of Nairobi Medical School Department of Community Health and 1985 to 1994. She worked as a Regional Programme Associate as the Population Council, Regional Office covering Reproductive Health and HIV in East and Southern Africa countries, including Zimbabwe from 1994 to 2003. Dr Muia holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBchB) and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from the University of Nairobi as well as as doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) from the Bloomberg School of Public Health, John Hopkins University, USA.
