Mbow served 20 years at the Ministry of Health of Senegal as a Chief District Medical Officer for 13 years and a Regional Chief Medical Officer for 7 years. In these positions, Mbow led and oversaw the implementation of national health policies and strategies, coordinated health district development, and ensured monitoring and evaluation of all areas of health particularly in priority programs such as maternal, newborn and child health; family planning; HIV/AIDS; malaria; and tuberculosis.

He then joined USAID and then WHO as a national and international public health expert. Mbow worked as a WHO consultant to support Togo, Equatorial Guinea, and Rwanda in the planning, implementation, documentation, and monitoring and evaluation of integrated multi-antigen vaccination campaigns and deworming and mosquito net distribution programs.

In 2007, Mbow joined USAID mission in Senegal as an MCH/FP Specialist, then served as an Agreement Officer Technical Representative (AOTR/AOR) for USAID Senegal focusing on reproductive, maternal and child health promotion and family planning. Dr. Mbow served as a primary liaison to support and strengthen USAID programs and provided strategic technical assistance and capacity building to the Directorate of Reproductive Health and Directorate of Reproductive Health and Child Survival of the Ministry of Health for the implementation of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health initiatives and other areas.

Before joining Open Development, Mbow worked as a consultant for USAID/PMI to support the national malaria program and the planning, management, and oversight of preparedness for public health emergencies, including Ebola and Covid-19.