Recently, I was able to bring two HFI partners to my class at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service.
First, Monica Magaña, Mexico’s youngest State Congresswoman and leader of her party, came to campus. Trained as a lawyer but an activist politician at heart, Monica was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes during her congressional campaign and has now made it the mission of her political tenure (and her life) to ensure that children and the most vulnerable in her district have access to the lifesaving devices they need to treat and manage their T1D.
Monica’s lecture and subsequent dinner with Georgetown students discussed how to navigate difficult health finance decisions when faced with financial constraints, and how she ensures that policies passed by Congress are translated into action.
Globally, there are 300,000 children and youth with T1D, and 150,000 do not have access to lifesaving glucose measurement devices. The Health Finance Institute has been collaborating with Monica, her team, and ‘Centro Dia’ to provide them with an international voice and platform.
Later in the month, Mathieu Morand, Head of Health Financing & Innovation at City Cancer Challenge, joined my class via Zoom.
City Cancer Challenge was developed in 2017 to support cities around the world as they work to improve access to equitable, quality cancer care. Their work has already reached over 50 million people and supported almost 2,500 health care professionals.
Mathieu shared examples of the incredible work they’ve already done, and shared why City Cancer Challenge is working to support investment planning and improve financial coverage. He also shared about their work with IFC - International Finance Corporation to explore public-private partnerships as a way to develop sustainable cancer care infrastructure.
I am excited by the work that HFI can do with leaders like Monica and Mathieu. It will only amplify what we are each accomplishing alone.
And just last week, I was honored to meet Dr. Anthony Fauci at Georgetown’s annual The Maloy Distinguished Lecture in Global Health. He spoke at the event, discussing a range of topics, including that the core values of integrity, equity, and pragmatic optimism are key in public service and scientific leadership.
We are excited to share two staffing updates from March.
Douglas Mushinge has joined HFI as a Senior Health Economist Consultant.
Douglas brings strategic thought leadership, technical expertise, and effective management to the organization’s health economics portfolio. With a background in both Economics and Health Economics, he has the knowledge and skills to successfully manage health economics projects. His experience encompasses leading the design and execution of health economic models for various non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly in the sub-Saharan region. Throughout his career, Douglas has been steadfast in his commitment to enhancing health equity and improving health outcomes for underserved and underprivileged populations.
Douglas’s expertise and passion for health economics are invaluable assets in advancing the HFI’s mission to create a meaningful impact on global healthcare. He brings not only his expertise, but also his steadfast dedication to fostering a healthier and more equitable world.
Jia Qin has joined HFI as a Research Assistant Intern.
Jia is an undergraduate student at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service studying international affairs and global health. He is passionate about health policy and systems development and has prior experience interning at an NGO. As a graduating senior, Jia is currently writing his honors thesis on how policymakers in Colombia understand the right to health. After graduation, he hopes to continue working in the global health sector.
Careers at HFI
We are now hiring a Senior Health Economist to support our work as we help empower global communities. Join us to reshape the outlook on NCDs worldwide! Learn more about the role here.
We also continue to seek candidates for the role of Research Assistant Intern. Please share with your networks!
