Education
MBA, University of South Carolina, 1988
Overview
As Director, Policy Advocacy & Communications at the International Vaccine Access Center, I focus on immunization in low and middle income countries and educating stakeholders on the value of immunization and policies that incorporate new vaccines into national programs. Our focus is to help both global and country-level stakeholders translate evidence to help achieve policy and action. I bring both policy and advocacy experience from nearly 12 years of working with low and middle income countries to support evidence based decisions about vaccines in the context of the broader health system and experience of nearly 2 decades working in the private sector, most notably on the launch of the first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the US and support for introduction in Latin America and Europe. The work of our team has focused on policy change and advocacy to help accelerate access of new vaccines for infants, adolescents and adults, highlighting some of the important linkages to not only preventing disease, but talking about economic, equity, educational, and health systems impacts. Understanding the relationships of various stakeholders in country and empowering local advocates to communicate evidence and compelling messages about the need for vaccines has been central to our work in helping accelerate access. Our projects are both global and in country, particularly in India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Much of my team's work is focused on understanding elements of acceleration or access in Asia. We conduct stakeholder analyses, support countries in identifying barriers to immunization and develop strategies for improved acceptance and uptake, conduct evidence syntheses with local partners and experts and support the policy process for evidence based decisions. We have studied vaccine benchmarks from first licensure through introduction to better understand the process of vaccine introduction and what accelerates decisions including availability and communication of evidence, political will, financial advocacy and health system strength/strategies for addressing supply & other program issues , accountability and more. We work to empower local stakeholders to advocate for change within their countries and provide guidance on approaches to addressing vaccine hesitancy as well as support coalitions (Stop Pneumonia), World Pneumonia Day, ROTA Council and other efforts working with partners to advance appreciate for the value of vaccines.