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Lola Adedokun | Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Skip to main content
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Lola Adedokun

Lola Adedokun, M.P.H.

Program Director for Child Well-being and Director for the African Health Initiative

Lola Adedokun is both the program director for child well-being and the director of the African Health Initiative at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, where she oversees the work of two grantmaking programs. In her dual roles, she works with a singular focus on reducing inequality and empowering children and families to lead healthy, robust and self-determined lives. 

The Child Well-being Program anchors its strategy in a public health approach that uses a whole-family lens to promote children's healthy development and prevent their maltreatment in the U.S. To accomplish these goals, the program staff partner with and prioritize the vital contributions of community, systems and nonprofit leaders to create improved and more equitable outcomes for their children. 

The African Health Initiative focuses on strengthening health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. The initiative funds data-driven programs, jointly led and designed by researchers, health system leaders and practitioners, to strengthen health systems through strategies that are responsive to local and national priorities.   

Prior to her work at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Adedokun was an analyst at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she was responsible for management and analysis of HIV/AIDS surveillance data. Earlier in her career, she served as an analyst at Abt Associates Inc., implementing several federally funded impact evaluations related to HIV/AIDS programming and research-capacity building—both domestically and internationally. 

Adedokun earned a bachelor’s degree in health policy and sociology from Dartmouth College and a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She currently serves on the board of Foster America and the Brooklyn-based Explore Schools network. 

Additionally, she is an avid speaker, providing presentations and chairing conferences that advocate for improved data-driven policies and programs that equitably ensure children and families receive high-quality resources that promote holistic flourishing. 

Adedokun and her team regularly share their expertise with partners and stakeholders in public and private sectors working on these critical issues of child well-being and health in the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa.

cwp@ddcf.org