Robert Zinser, PhD

Dr. Zinser is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rotarian Action Group for Population & Sustainable Development (RFPD) and Past District Governor of Rotary International. Dr. Zinser initiated RFPD’s first pilot project “Child Spacing, Family Health and AIDS Education” in six states of Northern Nigeria in 1995 and its large-scale follow-up in 2000. In 2005, he started the large-scale project “Improvement of Maternal Health – Prevention and Treatment of Obstetric Fistula” in Kaduna and Kano State. With this project, maternal mortality was reduced by 60% in ten selected hospitals within 2.5 years, focused on continuously improving the quality of structure, process and outcome by collecting data, analyzing and discussing it in a benchmarking process. Stakeholders regard this project as a model to contribute to MDG 5. As project coordinator, Dr. Zinser is leading a project team with volunteering German and Austrian gynecologists and Nigerian project staff. He was president of BASF Asia Pacific and is an Honorary University Professor for International Management in Germany.