John Koku Awoonor-Williams, Fellow of the Ghana Collage of Physicians and Surgeons, is the Ghana Health Service Director, Upper East Regional Health Administration and Part-time Senior Lecturer, Columbia University. He is a public health physician/specialist with an MD from the Minsk State Medical School, Belarus, an MPH from the University of Leeds and a Masters in Health Administration and Management from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration. His interests include health systems development, childhood survival, reproductive health, and health program assessments and evluation. For decades, Dr. Awoonor-Williams was District Director of Health Services in the Nkwanta District of Ghana where he implemented several health systems innovations which aim to bring health services closer to the doorsteps of c communities. He has won several awards both nationally and internationally for his contribution to the health sector and public health community. In 2006, the World Medical Association nominated him as one of its “Caring Physicians of the World” and WHO featured him in the cover article of the State of the World’s Health for his contributions to health manpower development. In 1997 and 2006 two Presidents of the Republic of Ghana awarded him the ‘Grand Medal Civil Division’ for his meritorious medical and public health service in Ghana.