Dr. Ciro Franco

Dr. Ciro Franco has worked in global public health for 27 years, including 13 years in long-term senior-level clinical/technical positions with integrated Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health/Family Planning/Reproductive Health (MNCH/FP/RH) service delivery projects in lower- and  middle-income countries and fragile states. This includes five years of service in Mali and additional senior technical in-country consultancies in Burundi, DRC, Sierra Leone, Niger and Central African Republic.

Dr. Franco is a recognized expert in developing and adapting MNCH/FP service delivery approaches for fragile settings. Under the USAID/DRC Integrated Health Project (MSH, 2010-2014, $180M), he worked with the Ministry of Health to design an integrated MNCH/FP approach that introduced iCCM+ (integrated community case management) and scaled community-based distributions in conflict-impacted health zones. He developed new approaches for facility-level integration of FP into antenatal care and post-natal care, and immunization services and quality of care improvement approaches for maternal and neonatal health. As Abt Associate’s chief of party for the USAID/Mali Increased Use of Health Services (IUP) integrated MNCH/FP/RH project (2003-2006, $7.5M), he assisted the Ministry of Health to develop new guidelines for malaria in pregnancy and address MNCH equity gaps in the most vulnerable areas of the country. Dr. Franco brings a diversity of expertise as demonstrated through his track record in senior technical roles in integrated MCH and malaria programs with MSH, UNICEF, FHI 360, IMC and Helen Keller International.

Dr. Franco received his medical degree from the University of Naples (Italy) and his Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University.