Joy Phumaphi
Title: Vice President and Head,
The Human Development Network
Company/Organization: The World Bank
Program: African Graduate Fellowship Program (AFGRAD)
Degree: Master's of Science in Financial Accounting
Year Completed: 1987
Since February 2006, Ms. Phumaphi has held the position of Vice President and Head of The Human Development Network at The World Bank. Prior to joining the Bank, Ms. Phumaphi was the Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization’s Family & Community Health Program. Previously she served as Botswana’s Minister of Health, heading her country’s response to the HIV/AIDS crisis from 1999 until 2003. During her term as Minister of Health of Botswana, she served as a member of the Africa Advisory Group for the UNDP Africa program, and UNICEF’s program on orphans and children in difficult circumstances. She earned global acclaim for addressing HIV/AIDS not only as a health issue, but also as a challenge with political and development consequences for the nation and psychological implications for individuals. Ms Phumaphi is also an HIV/AIDS commissioner appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General, and served as the President’s deputy on Botswana’s National AIDS Council.
Through AAI's African Graduate Fellowship Program (AFGRAD), Ms. Phumaphi was selected for a scholarship and attended the University of Miami in Ohio, where she earned a master’s of science degree in financial accounting and decision sciences.