Current Title/Organization: Strategy Manager, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)

Location: Oslo, Norway

How are you an Advocate for health equity today?

Professionally, I have always been driven by two beliefs: first, that vaccines are an unbelievable public health intervention because of their cost-effectiveness and scalability; and second, that decisions in global health should be made equitably. I have worked in global health most of my career, but often I have been the only African woman in rooms where discussions revolved around health in Africa. This needs to change.

The vaccination itself is the outcome of a well-functioning system – not just the right science. Getting a person vaccinated requires addressing financial, operational, and political elements within that system. Vaccines are expensive; transporting them is logistically complex, and policymakers need to address issues like vaccine hesitancy and vaccine nationalism.

Decision-makers within this system should be representative of the populations for whom the system is designed, and they should advocate for equitable access to vaccines. My job is to develop the strategy for CEPI, an organization that focuses on developing vaccines so epidemics are no longer a threat to humanity. Doing so is a core part of my advocacy for health equity among decision-makers who work in global health.

Current Title / Organization: Strategic Advisor at Stop the Spread and Graduate Student in Public Policy and Business at Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford Business School

Location: Boston, MA

How are you an Advocate for health equity today?

 In March of 2020, I began supporting a pandemic response organization called Stop the Spread. Our mission is to harness the collective power of companies, innovators, philanthropists, institutions, and non-profit organizations to fight COVID-19. The pandemic has exacerbated and exposed gross inequities in our society, and it has highlighted the relationship between social and economic factors and health outcomes. At Stop the Spread, we’ve worked to accelerate the deployment of capital, connections, and research to disadvantaged communities and communities of color – for example, by deploying funding to a personal protective equipment (PPE) purchasing co-op that serves regional churches and schools in underserved communities.  

Beyond Stop the Spread, I am currently in graduate school to build a private and public sector toolkit for solving challenges facing U.S. healthcare delivery. I am analyzing the link between social determinants of health and COVID-19 outcomes in communities of color.  

Current Title/Organization: Business Analyst, Deloitte Consulting 

Location: Washington, DC

How are you an Advocate for healthy equity today?:

As a Business Analyst for Deloitte Consulting in its Government and Public Services practice area, I have the incredible opportunity to not only encourage but also help federal health organizations to facilitate health equity within the populations they serve. Whether it be in coordinating specific initiatives aimed at alleviating health disparities or connecting federal health researchers with their colleagues to blend health equity into new strategies and initiatives, I am empowered with project opportunities that can ultimately begin to bring us closer to a more equitable society.