The Nkafu Policy Institute of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation has appointed Dr Luchuo Engelbert Bain as Non-Resident Fellow within the Division of Health Policy and Human Development, effective May 18, 2026.
His appointment further strengthens Nkafu’s growing network of distinguished scholars and practitioners committed to advancing evidence-informed policymaking and sustainable development across the continent.
Dr Bain is an internationally recognised global health strategist, empirical bioethicist, and implementation research scientist with more than 15 years of experience advancing science, ethics, and equity in global health. He currently serves as Deputy Director of the MSc in Global Women’s Health at the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, and is co-founder and convener of Global Health Otherwise, a pan-African platform advancing equity-driven global health discourse and governance reform.
His prior roles include Head of International Programs at the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), and Senior Program Officer for Global Health at IDRC Canada, where he oversaw a portfolio of approximately CAD 100 million and co-led a CAD 29.9 million initiative on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Dr Bain holds degrees from the University of Yaoundé I, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, KU Leuven, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, as well as a certificate in Global Health Diplomacy from the University of Toronto.
An elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, Dr Bain serves on the WHO Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (TDR), the WHO Sexual Health and Wellbeing Advisory Group, the Africa CDC Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Technical Advisory Group, the International Medical Advisory Panel of IPPF, and the UNFPA Technical Advisory Group on Sexual and Reproductive Agency, among others.
He is a visiting Associate Professor at the University of Johannesburg and Professor of Global Health and Bioethics at EUCLID University. His scholarship has produced over 100 peer-reviewed publications across sexual and reproductive health, maternal and child health, bioethics, community engagement, health systems, and the political determinants of global health.
“Dr Bain brings an extraordinary combination of scholarly depth, policy experience, and institutional leadership that is exceptional in the African global health landscape,” Dr Denis A. Foretia, Executive Chairman, Nkafu Policy Institute.
“His commitment to equity-driven, community-grounded, and ethically rigorous research mirrors the values that have guided Nkafu since our founding. We are honoured to welcome him to the Nkafu team.”
“I am deeply honoured to join the Nkafu Policy Institute,” Dr Luchuo Engelbert Bain, Non-Resident Fellow, Nkafu Policy Institute.
“Nkafu’s commitment to producing rigorous, locally grounded, and politically relevant evidence for health and governance reform in Central Africa resonates profoundly with my own scholarly commitments. I look forward to contributing to an institution that understands that genuine impact requires not only excellent research but also trust, partnership, and deep accountability to the communities we serve.”
About Nkafu Policy Institute
The Nkafu Policy Institute is the think tank of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Founded in 2012, Nkafu produces independent, evidence-informed policy research on governance, health, economics, and development across Central Africa. For more information, visit www.nkafu.org.
About the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation
The Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation is a Cameroonian philanthropic foundation committed to advancing health, education, policy, and economic opportunity in Cameroon and across Africa.
