On the sidelines of UNGA79 and in anticipation of the 2025 UN High-Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health, HFI is joining forces with Boehringer Ingelheim for a much-needed discussion on integrating mental health financing into the broader NCD agenda.
To advance this crucial dialogue, HFI is thrilled to announce the launch of our latest report, titled “The Burden of Mental Health Conditions Versus Financing in the Global and National Context.”
Andrea brings extensive leadership experience in global health financing and chronic disease policy. She holds a PhD in global health from Harvard University and has worked with WHO, WB, and OECD. She is the innovator behind the Evidenced Formal Coverage Index for universal healthcare coverage and co-founded the Young Professional Network for Chronic Diseases. Andrea has authored several major reports, including a WEF/Harvard report on the global economic burden of chronic diseases
Dévora is a senior mental health policy specialist with more than 25 years of international experience. She has advised governments on national mental health systems in Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Ms. Kestel holds an MSc in Psychology from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, and an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. Since 2019, she has been the Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use at the World Health Organization.
John-Arne, former Norwegian Ambassador for Global Health and founding CEO of CEPI, has held leadership roles including Chief Executive of the Research Council of Norway. He holds an MD and PhD from the University of Oslo, and an MSc from Oxford, and MPA from Harvard. His work spans clinical trials, global health policy, and epidemic preparedness, including leading the Ebola vaccine and WHO COVID-19 Solidarity trials. He has served on global health boards like Gavi and WHO, and recently chaired the ACT-Accelerator Working Group.
Neil is an award-winning social entrepreneur and global health leader with deep experience in driving impact through innovative data and funding mechanisms. Prior to CHAI, Dr. Shah was the Managing Director at GiveWell and co-founded IDinsight, where he pioneered the use of data-driven tools to improve global health and development programs. He holds degrees from Harvard and Einstein College of Medicine and serves on multiple global health and social impact boards.
Nafisa Jiwani is the Managing Director for Health Initiatives at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). She advises the CEO on global health policies and leads DFC’s Health and Prosperity Initiative, mobilizing capital to strengthen health systems in developing countries. Previously, she served as Deputy Senior Advisor at the Department of Health and Human Services, leading initiatives on maternal health, sepsis, and social determinants of health. Nafisa also held leadership roles at the CDC and has experience in international development and clinical research. She holds a BA in Psychology from SMU and an MPH from Emory University.