Country Focal Points

LEAHN has established a network of senior (serving, former and retired) police and law enforcement officers in various parts of the world who are key contacts for LEAHN, these police are known as Country Focal Points (CFPs).

In 2019, the following countries are represented:

Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, The Ukraine, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Meet the Country Focal Points below:

Greg Denham

Australia

Email: denham.greg@gmail.com

Greg Denham has extensive experience across the policing, health and education sectors. He is a former member of both Victoria and Queensland Police and served in the uniform, investigation, crime prevention and training departments. Greg has also worked in the health field, particularly in drug and alcohol policy where he has undertaken extensive policy and practice development with police in the prevention of HIV through injecting drug use, mostly in South East Asia. Greg has also worked with police in developing strategies to better respond to people experiencing mental health problems and is a consultant in the prevention of child abuse and neglect through school-based education programs. More recently his professional direction has been looking at ways that local agencies can problem-solve complex health, social and welfare issues through stakeholder engagement and collaboration.

Greg’s commentary is highly sought after in Australia and internationally. Some of his interviews and published articles are available at the following link along with other aspects of his international drug policy and law enforcement education projects.

Shahala Pervin

Bangladesh

Email: shehelapervin@yahoo.com

Mst. Shahala Pervin  started her career in Bangladesh Police as Assistant Superintendent of police in 2003.   She completed a one year training in Sarda police Academy.  She served as Second-in-Command for the Range Reserve Force (RRF). She has spent much of her career in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) with various capacities in the field of administration and personnel management. She was promoted to Additional Superintendent of Police in 2010 and also worked in Traffic and Driving School, Dhaka as Additional Superintendent of Police (Training). In 2016, she was promoted to Superintendent of Police (SP). Now she is working Bangladesh Railway Police Headquarters as Superintendent of Police (administration & finance) and is a member of the National Taskforce on HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh. In 2018 Supt. Pervin was awarded the ‘Inspector General of Police Good Services’ badge for her dedication to policing.

She has presented on a range of topics, including: ”Combating human trafficking in Bangladesh” (49^th International Association of Women Police (IAWP) Conference Lexington, USA in 2011); “Violence Against  Women Perspective Bangladesh”  in 50^th International  Association of Women Police (IAWP) Conference in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada in 2012); the 1^st  & 2^nd Asian Women Police Conference in Bangladesh & Indonesia in  2012 & 2014; Women in policing in Commonwealth Human rights initiatives in Nepal in 2013. She presented papers in Spain, Calgary, Toronto and Australia on various aspects of gender and policing.  She is an incumbent Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Police Women`s Network (BPWN) and a lifetime member of IAWP.

Throughout her 15 year career with the Bangladesh Police, She has been recognized for recipient of Bangladesh Police Women Leadership Award 2017 for her outstanding Policing, Human Recourse Management and Networking .She also conducts training of police officers and other personnel on the diversity of topics on Gender Sensitivity, Woman Empowerment, the Woman Rights, Violence against women cases, terrorism, combating human trafficking, leadership, Traffic management and control etc.

She has completed Bachelor of social science and Masters of Political science from the University of Dhaka. She  has completed M-Phil on “Women Leadership in Bangladesh Police Administration” in the university of Dhaka.Now She is pursuing PhD from University of Dhaka.

Roberta Torres Dos Santos

Brazil

Email: leahn.brasil@gmail.com

Major PM Roberta Torres dos Santos:  Psychologist of the Military Police (PM) in Rio de Janeiro since 2002, currently holds the position of Superintendent of Professional Valuation at the State Secretariat of Public Security in Rio de Janeiro. In 2010/2011, she worked for the National Secretariat of Public Security of the Ministry of Justice, in Brasília, as co-counsel on the Project of Life Quality.

Major Roberta has *specialized degrees* in the field of Health Management  (UERJ) and Clinical Psychology (UFF), as well as completed the *update courses* on Forensic Psychology (UERJ), Management of Public Security (UERJ) and Police and Human Rights (UCAN). She has *professional qualification courses* in Levelling Statement of Knowledge (Department of National Force of Public Security/MJ) and Accident Prevention-Human Factor (CENIPA/Aeronautics).

Abraham Zeleke Taye

Ethiopia

Email: zelekeabraham@yahoo.com

Abraham is a Deputy Commander of Police in Ethiopia in charge of Human Resource Management. He has tertiary education in accounting and is currently in his fourth year of a Police Science and International Relations degree at Addis Ababa University.

Jones Blantari

Ghana

Email: blantarijm@gmail.com

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Jones Blantari, Ghana, has been involved in the promotion of harm reduction approaches to sex work and drug use for many years. In particular, AC Blantari has overseen the transition of police practices from using arrest as a common approach to enforce anti-sex worker legislation to harm reduction approaches including police carrying and distributing condoms to sex workers from their weapon holsters. Jones Blantari has been a key police trainer and harm reduction advocate in Ghana and abroad.

 Read post: LEAHN’s Chief Superintendent Jones Blantari speaks at HONLEA, Ethiopia.

Ranjan Dwivedi

India

Email: divs11@hotmail.com

Ranjan Dwivedi is a management graduate with experience in law enforcement and HIV programming. As Technical Advisor UNAIDS, he has engaged extensively with various stakeholders, including police forces, Country HIV control programmes, UN organisations and research institutions. At UNAIDS, he developed a comprehensive strategy for the role of uniformed services in the response to the HIV epidemic. Along with this, he has developed several tools that can be used across cultures to implement this strategy. He has also worked with WHO, at the Headquarters in Geneva and in India where he was the focal point for eHealth.  Besides HIV programming, he is also keenly interested in scientific research in the area of ICT and development and capacity building.  He speaks Hindi, Urdu, English and basic French.

Lastri Riyanti

Indonesia

Email: riyanti_lastri@yahoo.com
Chief of Police Public Health , Department of Police Medicine in Police Health Services. Indonesian National Police

With a Medical Degree from Universitas sebelas maret and a Master of Hospital management of Universitas Respati Indonesia, CP Lastri is well qualified for promoting harm reduction approaches. Her work experience includes:

–         1995-2003 Medical Doctor in Bhayangkara hospital Indonesian National Police
–          2003-2005 Medical Doctor in parmadi siwi narcotics rehabilitation Indonesian Narcotics Boards
–         2006-now Department of Police Medicine in Police Health Services. Indonesian National Police

Kedokteran Kepolisian   Link to Facebook

P. Mulyatno, SH

Indonesia

Email: ph.mulyatno@gmail.com

As the Police Grand Commissary Adjunct of Head unit 3, 3 Sub Directorate, Drugs law enforcement Directorate of Criminal Investigation Board, P. Mulyatno, SH is a very experienced police officer in Indonesia. He studied law at Jakarta University and has many qualifications in Criminal Investigations. He has worked extensively in drug law enforcement and participated in study tours regarding drug decriminalisation and harm reduction to Portugal and Australia, respectively.

Wilson Edung Lomali

Kenya

Email: lomaliw@yahoo.com

LEAHN has appointed the Kenya police Country Focal Point:  Inspector Wilson Edung Lomali from Kenya Police. Wilson is the Kenya Police focal point for Most At Risk Populations and has worked in this area for the past 9 years and extensive experience working with people affected by HIV. He is based in the city of Nairobi.

Gulsara Alieva

Kyrgyz Republic

Email: gulsara.kg@gmail.com

Dr Gulsara Alieva is a retired police Colonel from the Kyrgyz Republic. She completed her PhD at Moscow State University, Russia, in 2004. She has held the position of Deputy Head at the Academy of the Ministry of Interior (academic stream), and also Associate Professor of the Department of Social and Political Studies. Throughout her career, Dr Alieva has been involved in a range of issues at the intersection of policing and legal reform, including:

• Human rights
• HIV/AIDS prevention
• Police reform
• Domestic violence and gender equality; women, peace and security issues
• Procedural and institutional principles of security enforcement

 She is a board member of the Association of Police Women of the Kyrgyz Republic and her expertise is a welcome addition to the LEAHN team.

Alex Zelichenko

Regional Co-ordinator, Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan)

Email: zelitchenko@yahoo.com

Aleksandr (Alex) Zelichenko, PhD, is a retired Police Colonel and Director of Central Asian Drug Policy Center. He is also a member of Journalists Association of Kyrgyzstan and National Writers Association of Kyrgyzstan.

Alex is one of the founders and first leader of the Special Drug Control Service under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, The State Commission on Drug Control under the Government of Kyrgyz Republic.  He has more than 37 years of experience in the Kyrgyz State Police Service at operational, supervisory levels, command level and in police training (1974 – 20011), in a wide range of Police services as Police Drug Control Service, Criminal Police, Community Police and Police Reforming as well as extensive experience in multi-cultural and post conflict environments during Cross-Border Cooperation Projects in Central Asian region. Alex has served in UN Missions in Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia/Montenegro.

Alex has trained more than 700 police officers from Kosovo and Serbia in crime prevention, general policing, anti-drug activities and community policing Issues. He worked as an international drug policy expert for IHRD/OSI from 2004-7. Alex is currently the Coordinator of EU Central Asian Drug Action Program – CADAP-6 and moderates the Russian version of the LEAHN.

Alex is a recipient of an award “For valuable input to HIV prevention in the Kyrgyz Republic“.

Blanyon Himmie

Liberia

Email: h.blanyon@yahoo.com

Chief Superintendent Hnedy Blanyon Himmie, is Deputy Chief of Community Policing Section in the Liberia National Police. He is also the HIV and AIDS Focus Person at the Liberia National Police Headquarters, Capitol Hill, Monrovia, Liberia.

His duties include creating awareness and sensitization programs  on crime prevention, Road safety Issues, Drugs, Human Trafficking, Rape, Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, Human Rights, Information Sharing and the HIV and AIDS Prevention among others, across Liberia, to community and police.

He is also engaged with conducting Workshop for members of the Liberia National Police and Key Populations, (KPs) of Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights as it relates to Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (UDHR) and other related Human Rights instruments that seek to address Human Rights and protection for all, regardless of their Sex or Gender.

CSP Himmie works with international and national partners on human rights and HIV prevention. For example, (international NGOs) PSI Liberia, UNAIDS, UNMIL Human Rights Division now Office of the High Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) and American Jewish Word Service, (AJWF), and, national agencies, ACTION AID Liberia, Stop AIDS in Liberia, (SAIL) LEGAL Liberia, Trans Gender Network of Liberia, (TGNOL), LEPRIED Coalition. These group is made up of minority group who are working on issues ranging from HIV awareness and Sensitization, Prevention, Treatment and Care, protection and support to key Populations.

Svetlana Doltu

Moldova

Email: svetlana.doltu@gmail.com

Lieutenant Colonel Svetlana Doltu has been involved in HIV prevention approaches for prisoners in penitentiaries in Moldova for many years having served as both the Head of Medical Services and Chief of the Infectious Diseases Unit at the Department of Penitentiary Institutions among other roles. Focusing on the ‘World Health Organization Guidelines on HIV Infection and AIDS in Prisons’, Lt. Col. Doltu developed programs to train prison staff in rendering medical aid to HIV positive inmates. She has also co-ordinated harm reduction programs (including needle exchange) in prisons and activities regarding the rights of HIV infected prisoners and people addicted to drugs. Harm reduction training for employees of non-government organisations also comprises a key component of her work. She has a number of postgraduate qualifications from the State Medical University, Moldova, and a Master of Public Health.

Lt. Col. Doltu is a public health expert in two national human rights bodies as a member of the Council for the Prevention of Torture Ombudsman of Moldova Office (since 2016), and a member of the Council for Preventing and Eliminating Discrimination and Ensuring Equality (since 2017) (elected by Parliament of the Republic of Moldova). She is also an international and national consultant in areas including, tuberculosis in prisons (as a temporary WHO expert), HIV, TB and other diseases in prison settings activities (UNODC, USAID, UNDP, PATH), and rights to health in prisons (Council of Europe). She speaks Russian, Romanian and English.

Maria Justina Eduardo Cumbe

Mozambique

Email: justinamariacumbe@gmail.com
Senior Superintendent Maria Justina Eduardo Cumbe joined Mozambique Police in 1988 following teacher training school.  She is has qualifications in MSC Administration and Management /Pedagogic Psychologist. She worked in Criminal Investigations for two years as well as in human resource management and to the police training department where she develops curriculum and training.

She currently works as a manager of police strategic projects. Her experience spans:

• Setting up police units for victims of domestic violence, with a special focus on women, children and the elderly (since 1996). This included integrating projects for the prevention of trafficking of women and children and training officers in police procedures when attending to victims of violence.
• Integrating a new project producing a manual of police procedures for two groups of key populations (men who have sex with men and women who are sex workers). Within this project, key populations were taught how to integrate harm reduction strategies for people who use drug, especially women and young people.
• Training policewomen to be leaders in the region.

Navaraj Dhakal

Nepal

Email: nava.dhakal@gmail.com

Navaraj Dhakal is a former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in Kathmandu. As Police Chief in Kathmandu valley he ensured law and order, prevention and detection of crime in its area of responsibility. In addition, he established professional standards to maintain a high level of integrity and ethical conduct. Between 2007-2008, he was Joint Director of the National Police Academy being responsible for supervising its training and development activities, worked as instructor in various security, investigation and police management trainings, ensured the regular review of training curriculum, worked as chief training coordinator for UN pre-deployment trainings, and advised and assisted the Executive Director on various aspects of training and development. He has a Master of Public Administration and has completed a range of international training courses regarding management, training, human rights, human trafficking, and disaster management among others.

 Roli Bode-George

Nigeria

Email: rolibodegeorge@yahoo.com

Roli Bode-George is currently the Director-General of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Nigeria. In her role as Director-General she supervises the seven Directorates of the Agency and forty-nine command posts nationwide. She is also the Chair of the Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Drugs, which implements The National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP). The IMC ensures the implementation of programmes that address illicit drug use using evidence based methods and adhering to human rights principles to ensure access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment and care services for people in prisons and for drug users with HIV. Her role also involves ensuring drug law enforcement officers build their capacity in HIV service delivery as they engage drug users, especially among those within detention facilities.

She coordinates the agency’s national public health programme called Drugs Anonymous. Drugs Anonymous is a programme that provides counselling to drug addicts via online, telephone and face-to-face support forums.

She previously served as a Federal Commissioner and functioned as a board director in several federal agencies in Nigeria. Some of these agencies include the Nigerian Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the Nigerian National Population Commission (NPopC).

She obtained an MBA from the University of Liverpool; a Bachelor of Science from the University of Benin and has an Advanced Diploma in Terrorism, Security and Intelligence Studies. She is also certified in Advance Tactical Law Enforcement; Executive Leadership in Law Enforcement; Interview and Interrogation Techniques; and Counseling.

Efunsola Sowermimo

Nigeria

Email: efunsola2@gmail.com

Efunsola Sowermimo is a Commissioner of Police and a public health physician in Nigeria.  She is the Police Public Health Officer and National Coordinator of the Police Action Committee on HIV/AIDS (PACA). Commissioner Sowermimo has been actively involved in coordinating medical outreach and facility services for anti-retroviral therapy.

Commissioner Sowermimo ensures that all Nigeria Police Medical Services (NPMS) and facilities in the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory provide Counseling and Testing services. The 2018- 2022 Strategic Plan for the Police Action Committee on HIV/AIDS has been launched. The program recently conducted a survey with 2000 officers on Knowledge, Attitude and Practices with respect to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. In 2018,  PACA held rallies and free Counselling and Testing in police institutions and public places nationwide.

Colonel Dr. Ali Hassan Mohamed Ali

Sudan

Cell phone number: +249912362026 and +249123362026

Email:  alihmali70@gmail.com

Colonel Ali has been working at the Police Medical Services, Ministry of Interior, Sudan, since 2000. He has a MD. in Community Medicine and is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, at The National Ribat University, Khartoum. Colonel Ali has been appointed as the Ministry of Interior coordinator for SNAP (Sudan National Aids Control Program since 2008.

He has research experience in HIV/AIDS across a range of areas, including:

1.    HIV Prevalence, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Risk Factors among Prisoners in Khartoum State, Sudan, 2006 (co-investigator).
2.    IBBS among Female Sex Workers in Khartoum, Sudan, 2008 (member of the steering committee).
3.    IBBS among Female MSM in Khartoum, Sudan, 2008 (member of the steering committee).
4.    IBBS among Prisoners in Khartoum, Sudan, 2008 (member of the steering committee).
5.    IBBS among Female Sex Workers in Port-Sudan and Kassala Cities in Sudan, 2011 (member of the steering committee).
6.    IBBS among MSM in Port-Sudan and Kassala Cities in Sudan, 2011 (member of the steering committee).
7.    Rapid Need Assessment (RNA) of comprehensive condom programming in Sudan, 2012 (member of the steering committee).
8.    Formative research on the nature and extent of injecting drug use in Khartoum, Sudan, 2015 (primary investigator).

 Krisanaphong Poothakool

Thailand

Email: thongcop@yahoo.co.uk

 Abdallah Said Kirungu

Tanzania

Inspector Kirungu has attended and delivered plenary presentations a number of international forums on harm reduction, including International Conference on Harm Reduction held in Vilnius, June 2013, and the International Conference on Drug Policy and Policing held November 14-15, 2013 Frankfurt, Germany.

In 2013, Inspector Kirungu facilitated a number of training sessions for police about harm reduction with the support of Medicines du Monde. The success of these collaborations has garnered support for the implementation of harm reduction training within the Tanzania Police Force Academy for police recruits commencing in 2014.

 Le Hong Hai

Vietnam

Email: honghai23@yahoo.com

Since 2000, Le Hong Hai has worked as a lecturer in the Law Faculty of the Vietnamese People’s Police Academy with a focus on Civil Law. He has been conducting law research and training of police officers for more than ten years, exploring criminal justice and gaining insights into current challenges and threats posed by crime. Vietnam faces a number of challenges, especially in criminal legislation, law enforcement, legal assistance and the police officer’s ability.

Since April 2010 to 2013, Le Hong Hai transferred to the international co-operation section of The Vietnamese People’s Police Academy, eventually becoming Head of the section. His role included developing professional teachers and training police cadets to be the professional police officer who can meet the international requirement in the field of crime prevention and suppression. Acts as the head of international co-operation section. This work included co-ordinating with various police training institution of other countries and building good relations in exchanging police training expertise and police cadet exchange programs.

Other projects include: project for strengthening the traffic police in various police institution of Vietnam by JICA, the project for human rights and criminal investigations by UK embassy and developing harm reduction training for police cadets. Mr Le Hong Hai is currently Director of the Scientific Information of Crime Centre, People’s Police Academy, Hanoi.

Wamala Twaibu

Uganda

Email: uhrnetwork@gmail.com

Wamala Twaibu is the Executive Director of the Uganda Harm Reduction Network (UHRN), a Network that advocates for rights of drug users in Uganda, and a former Detective Inspector of Police. Wamala also represents the African Region on the Global Citizen Initiative (TCGI).

He holds a Master’s Degree in Refugee and Migration Studies, a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management, a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies, a Diploma in Law, and a Certificate in Human Rights and Good Governance, a Certificate in International Humanitarian Law and Law of Armed Conflicts, a Certificate in Interfaith Conflict  Resolution, a Certificate in Peace Keeping and International Conflict Resolution, a Certificate in Conflict Analysis, a Certificate in Public Administration and Management, a Certificate in Business Administration and Management, and a Certificate in Public Health.

Wamala sits on the Global Fund Core Team co-ordinated by MARPS Network in Uganda, and on the National Technical Team for Key Populations representing people who use drugs, hosted by Ministry of Health in Uganda. He  represents People Who Use Drugs on the African Key Population expert working group hosted by UNDP African Regional office and is a founder member of the East African Harm Reduction Network.

Pavlo Skala

Ukraine

Email: skala@aidsalliance.org.ua

Pavlo Skala, Acting Associated Director on Policy and Communication in the International HIV/AIDS Alliance in Ukraine. Former Major of Police. 12 years of police service experience and Law Enforcement,  9 years of experience in HIV prevention/Harm Reduction.

 Pavlo is working with policy and advocacy issues related to implementation of HIV-prevention programs among IDUs, FSWs and MSMs covered  more than 250 000 clients in Ukraine and supported by the Global Fund Programs  in Rounds 1, 6 and 10.

As a professional lawyer he defended and represented interests of his organization and particular victims in Ukrainian courts. He has direct relation to numerous cases of National HIV and Drug legislation revisions, research analysis and publications.

 Pavlo organized and conducted dozens of national and regional conferences, trainings and workshops on advocacy and human rights protection in HIV area  for Police Officers, Prosecutors and Lawyers. He participated as a speaker and facilitator in numerous regional and international AIDS and Harm Reduction conferences.

Zimba Isaac

Zambia

Email: chikwandaisaac@yahoo.com

Superintendent Zimba Isaac has been involved in HIV/AIDS, Gender, crime prevention and Wellness programs at a full time basis. From 2003 he served as HIV/AIDS and Wellness Provincial Coordinator on the Copperbelt Province and was later in the year 2012 promoted to become the National HIV/AIDS and Wellness Coordinator for the Zambia Police Service. As HIV/AIDS and Wellness Coordinator, has since managed to establish HIV/AIDS and Wellness structures at National, Provincial and District levels for coordination purposes. He has further trained more than 10,000 Police officers, their spouses and the youths; formed HIV/AIDS Support groups across the country for both the People Living with HIV (PLWHIV) and general community support group. He is one of the key persons in crafting the Gender and Sexuality in HIV/AIDS (GESHA) training manual for the Zambia Police and the HIV/AIDS Wellness policy for the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Republic of Zambia.

Before being appointed as HIV/AIDS and Wellness Coordinator, Supt. Zimba served as District Coordinator for Victim Support Unit supporting with a core responsibility of serving victims of gender based crimes and the less privileged. Prior to serving as District Victim Support Unit Coordinator, Supt. Zimba was managing Crime Prevention Programs for the Police on the Copperbelt province of the Republic of Zambia and managed to establish Community Crime Prevention Units across the Copperbelt province.

Supt. Zimba has also committed his work to ensuring that HIV has minimal impact on those most at risk and the broader community and manages to interact with inmates, sex workers, and the aged, the disabled, retirees, Youths and the adolescents.

He further coordinates commemorations of International and National HIV/AIDS days across the country in the Zambia Police Service.

Crispen Marara

Zimbabwe

Email: mararakiri@gmail.com

Crispen Marara is a Police Inspector in the Zimbabwe Republic Police Medical Services, General Headquarters in Harare. He is a Public Health Nurse who has a passion for solving HIV issues. He worked with the Ministry of Health HIV Care and Treatment from September 2000 before joining Zimbabwe Republic Police in June 2005.

He joined Zimbabwe Republic Police as a Junior Nurse and has studied several Post Basic Courses including Midwifery, Advanced HIV Management, and Public Health and Community Nursing.

Crispen has worked with various Non Governmental Organisations including Africaid{[Zvandiri}, Diziro Orphage and the National AIDS Council. He volunteers in the community during his spare time giving health education talks on HIV prevention, harm reduction and helping communities form support groups.