CHAMPAIGN — The new head of public health in Champaign County says he’s adamant about health equity and hopes to provide access to affordable health care for all residents.
Dr. Mamadou Tounkara was appointed as C-U Public Health Administrator and Executive Director on Feb. 3 after former administrator Julie Pryde retired after nearly 30 years of service to the community. Tounkara has been working for C-U Public Health since June of 2025, when he was appointed as deputy administrator.
The appointment comes at a time when access to affordable health care nationwide is under pressure from the Trump administration and federal lawmakers.
Efforts to extend subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans have stalled in Congress, and the Trump administration recently proposed $600 million in cuts to public health funding, aimed at four Democrat-led states, including Illinois. Those states have sued to try to block the proposed cuts.
“I would love, as part of my goals, to make sure that people who do not have health insurance can also have access to care,” Tounkara said. “Whatever privilege I get to get care, I want people to get that.”
After spending most of his career in Utah — working first at the state level at the Utah Department of Health and then transitioning to the local level — Tounkara said he understands public health on many different levels and hopes to apply the skills he’s gained to the Champaign-Urbana area.
“Public health gets stronger when the needs, aspirations and values of the community — the entire community — is met,” Tounkara said.
When asked about the recent proposed funding cuts announced by the Trump administration earlier this week, Tounkara said he would communicate any changes in funding at the local level.
“At this time, we have not heard anything from the Illinois Department of Public Health or other organizations regarding the funding cuts,” he said in an email. “We are monitoring the situation and will update folks as soon as we receive any updates.”
Tounkara currently co-chairs the Homelessness Outreach & Committee Workgroup at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and also chairs the Community Advisory Board within the U of I’s Family Resiliency Center.
“The main goal for me going into public health is to help people, help alleviate the suffering, because there are a lot of diseases and conditions that are preventable,” he said.