Like his father, Vincent Okungu wanted to become a teacher before realizing he wanted to keep learning rather than teaching, and that his first degree didn't answer the question that interested him most: what can be done to help Africa alleviate the health burdens affecting its most vulnerable communities?

Now, as one of the first trained health economists in Africa, Vincent helps countries determine what investments will sustainably improve health outcomes. It's a challenging task anywhere, but acutely so in Africa, where urgent priorities are many, and funds are especially limited. For Vincent, this state of affairs underscores the importance of generating evidence-based, cost-effective solutions, influencing government investment policies, and training more health economists.

"What drives me is being able to identify a problem, show people why it's a problem, and the impact it would have, particularly on vulnerable populations, if addressed," said Vincent.

A key architect of sustainable health systems, he developed robust financial models and sustainability plans for universal health coverage (UHC) in Kenya, which attracted substantial investments and profoundly influenced national health financing policy. His work has also included pioneering evidence-based strategic planning for non-communicable disease (NCD) control in Rwanda, resulting in tangible outcomes, including a threefold increase in government budget allocations for NCD programs. Vincent has developed similar health financing strategies that target neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe. To sustainably address NTD underfunding in Africa, in 2025, Vincent helped mobilize about USD 4.0 million in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Rwanda to provide much-needed interventions for poor populations affected by NTDs.

For his research focused on improving health outcomes among vulnerable populations, Vincent received the "Best Paper Award (Pharmacy Journal)", and a recognition for the most cited publication for five years (Health Systems & Reform).

Vincent's commitment extends to addressing critical health challenges in low-resource settings, including the development and costing of benefit packages for neglected tropical diseases integrated into national UHC schemes. He has also played a pivotal role in creating innovative financing mechanisms for adolescent sexual and reproductive health services and developing a social contracting framework to guide public and private investments in delivering essential HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria services at the grassroots level. His contributions extend beyond national contexts; he has co-authored comprehensive global reports on care quality improvements that guide reforms across diverse settings.

"It's very satisfying to see the ideas you put down leading to a change in policy," said Vincent.

Still, turning an idea into policy is rarely linear. Vincent has diligently reached out to policymakers to influence decisions that improve health. For example, he and colleagues have advocated for a school-based community water project, which recently (2025) resulted in the government drilling a free and permanent clean water source at his local primary school. This has resulted in fewer worm infections among schoolchildren and significantly reduced diarrhea cases among households around the water project.

"The one thing I hate is just writing an idea on paper and throwing it on a shelf. When I put an idea out there, I want it to be something myself or somebody else picks up, implements, and sees the results," he said.

For his efforts, Vincent was recently named by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a member of the Expert Advisory Panel/Committee on Donation and Transplantation of cells, tissues, and organs (ECDT), where he will be leading the financing and policy component.