Dr Chakkar has over 30 years of experience working on HIV/AIDS. She joined UNAIDS in 1999. Prior to joining UNAIDS, she worked with WHO on the integration and decentralization of activities for HIV/AIDS/STDs.

From 2013 to 2017, Dr Chakkar served as UNAIDS Regional Director, RST for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). During this period, she led and guided the Middle East and North Africa UNAIDS Regional Support Team (RST MENA). She provided to the Region and MENA country offices the necessary high -level policy, strategic guidance and leadership to Fast Track the response for ending AIDS in MENA region by 2030. . She mobilize regional partners, technical and financial resources to support the effective implementation of the first Arab AIDS Strategy in the Region that was developed with RST support and endorsed by The League of Arab States in march 2014. UNAIDS supported MENA countries in ensuring that no one is left behind in the response to HIV and those vulnerable and key populations in particular.

From June 2010 to 2013, she has been working at UNAIDS headquarters, initially as Regional Support Adviser for West and Central Africa Region and later as Senior Adviser in Global Financing Mechanisms and Collaboration Division Evidence, Innovation and Policy Department.

From 1999 to 2010 Dr Chakkar served as UNAIDS Country Coordinator (UCC) in many West and Central Africa Countries (Togo , Benin , Mali ). She was also the RST UNAIDS resource person for WCA Countries on such issues as leadership strengthening response, UN coordination, resource mobilization, and partnerships development. She was one of the initiators and support of the Regional Project “Corridor Migration Lagos -Abidjan” that covered five countries (Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria), representing one of the rare regional initiatives at the global level, funded and implemented with support initially by the World Bank (MAP) than by the Global Fund.

Prior to joining UNAIDS, Dr Chakkar worked with WHO-AFRO Regional office, in charge of country support for the integration and decentralization of HIV/AIDS/STDs activities in the Health Sector and she served as a member of the WHO African Advisory Research and Health Development (CCARDS for 04 years).

Before joining WHO, she held the post of Director of the National Programme on HIV/AIDS in Algeria for six (06) years. She began her career in Algeria as a Medical Doctor, specialist in epidemiology and preventive medicine and was Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the Blida University Hospital during five (05 years). She was also a member of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board (PCB) representing Algeria and the MENA Region in the beginning  of the creation of UNAIDS.

Parallel to her work in public health in Algeria, she worked for over ten years as a teacher in public health at the Medicine University of Algiers and Blida, specializing in Epidemiology / Preventive Medicine and Bio Statistics.

Dr Chakkar holds a Doctorate in Medicine and a high Diploma of Medical Studies in Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology (DEMS) University of Algiers. She also holds a Masters in Biomedical Tropical Sciences from the University of Antwerpen, Belgium. Use of Languages : French, Arabic , English.

Dr Chakkar received two distinctions from both the President of the Republic of Benin in 2007 and the President of the Republic of Mali in 2010 for her leadership and the efficient UNADS support she provided for HIV/AIDS national responses in the two countries. She received national honor of Officer in the Order of Benin and the national honor of Chevalier in the Order of Mali. She was also honoured by her country Algeria on the international woman’s day 8 March 2015, among the thirteen exceptional Algerian women for their effort and their courage and above all the main role in several domains including on gender equality and civil society at national and international level.