Esther Ruiter
Africa Health Business, Head of Growth and Strategy
Speaker Bio
Esther Ruiter is the Head of Growth and Strategy at Africa Health Business (AHB), where she leads the organization’s strategic direction and drives partnership development across the continent. In her role, she is responsible for identifying emerging opportunities, designing scalable and sustainable health initiatives, and catalyzing impactful public-private collaborations. Esther plays a critical role in shaping AHB’s long-term growth trajectory and ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of innovation and thought leadership in Africa’s health sector. Her work supports stakeholders in navigating complex and rapidly evolving health systems, with a strong emphasis on improving outcomes for women, children, and underserved communities.
With over a decade of experience in clinical practice, program development, and health systems strengthening, Esther brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work. A qualified and registered midwife in both Belgium and Kenya, she has worked across a variety of healthcare environments in Europe and Africa—including public hospitals, private clinics, development organizations, and strategic consulting engagements. Her expertise spans maternal and child health, community health, stakeholder engagement, and strategic advisory, giving her a unique ability to translate local insights into system-level impact.
Esther holds a Master of Science in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK and a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery from Arteveldehogeschool University of Applied Sciences in Belgium. She is fluent in English, Dutch/Flemish, German, and French, with basic proficiency in Swahili.
Motivated by a deep commitment to health equity, Esther is passionate about bridging the gap between policy and practice. Her frontline clinical background fuels her drive to ensure that innovation and strategy are grounded in real-world needs. At AHB, she is focused on delivering inclusive, transformative solutions that enable lasting improvements in healthcare systems across Africa.