Agnes Binagwaho
Agnes Binagwaho | |
|---|---|
| Born | Nyamagabe, Rwanda |
| Occupation(s) | Pediatrician, politician, academic |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Known for | Co-founding and serving as vice chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity; Minister of Health of Rwanda (2011–2016) |
Agnes Binagwaho is a pediatrician and politician from Rwanda, known for co-founding and serving as vice chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity between 2017 and 2022. After returning to Rwanda in 1996, she occupied several prominent government positions, including Permanent Secretary from 2008 to 2011 and Minister of Health from 2011 to 2016. Since 2016, she has held a professorship in global health delivery and pediatrics at the University of Global Health Equity. Binagwaho has played a pivotal role in advancing Rwanda’s public health system and currently lives in Kigali.
Early life and education
Originating from Nyamagabe, Rwanda, Binagwaho spent part of her childhood in Belgium. She completed her medical degree in general medicine at the Université libre de Bruxelles between 1976 and 1984, followed by a master's degree in pediatrics at the Université de Bretagne Occidentale from 1989 to 1993. Dartmouth College honored her with an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 2010. In 2014, she earned the inaugural PhD awarded by the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Rwanda, focusing on children’s health rights during the HIV/AIDS crisis.
Her advanced training includes a Certificate in Tropical Medicine from the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp and several certifications from Université de Bretagne Occidentale related to emergency care and HIV management. Upon returning to Rwanda after the genocide, she completed AIDS prevention training through the World AIDS Foundation and obtained further qualifications in health and human rights as well as social and behavioral research from various international organizations.
Career
Binagwaho’s medical career commenced in Belgium and France, where she specialized in pediatrics, earning a master’s degree, followed by additional training in emergency medicine and HIV/AIDS treatment for both pediatric and adult patients. After gaining extensive experience in neonatology, she returned to Rwanda in 1996 and dedicated two decades to public health. Initially practicing clinically within public hospitals for four years, she transitioned into senior governmental roles from 2002 until 2016, including Executive Secretary of Rwanda's National AIDS Control Commission, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, and ultimately Minister of Health for five years.
Between 2002 and 2008, she was part of The Global Fund's Rwanda Country Coordinating Mechanism and co-led the Joint Learning Initiative on Children and HIV/AIDS (JLICA) from 2006 to 2009. Binagwaho also contributed to Rwanda’s High Level Implementation Committee on Aid Policy (2006–2008) and participated on numerous international advisory boards such as the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam (2004–2009).
From 2001 through 2005, she co-chaired the United Nations Task Force focused on Millennium Development Goals concerning HIV/AIDS and access to essential medicines under Jeffrey Sachs’ leadership. In 2004, she joined the Health Advisory Board for Time magazine and was a member of the editorial board for the Public Library of Science. Additionally, she co-chaired the UN Tracking and Accountability Working Group and took part in the Joint Action Plan for Women’s and Children’s Health Innovation Working Group.
During her tenure as Permanent Secretary at Rwanda’s Ministry of Health (2008–2011) and Executive Secretary of the National AIDS Control Commission (2002–2008), Binagwaho chaired the Steering Committee for Rwanda’s implementation of the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and oversaw management of the World Bank MAP Project. She held the position of Minister of Health from May 2011 until July 2016 when President Paul Kagame appointed her successor.
Between 2013 and 2015, Binagwaho served on the International Advisory Board for Lancet Global Health. She was instrumental as a founding board member of Africa’s Tropical Institute of Community Health and Development based in Kisumu, Kenya; advised Friends of the Global Fund Africa; and participated on the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative's advisory committee. Furthermore, she contributed her expertise to Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation as well as serving on the advisory committee for Disease Control Priorities 3 (DCP3).
Professor Binagwaho held the role of Vice Chancellor at the University of Global Health Equity from 2017 until 2022.
Teaching
Since 2008, Binagwaho has held the position of senior lecturer within Harvard Medical School’s Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. She also occupies a professorship in global health delivery and pediatrics at Rwanda’s University of Global Health Equity, alongside her role as an adjunct clinical professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. Furthermore, she is affiliated as a faculty member with Harvard University’s Center for African Studies.
Other activities
In 2019, Binagwaho became a trustee on the Rockefeller Foundation board and joined the executive advisory board for the Wellcome Trust Global Monitor. By 2022, she had taken on membership in the Global Advisory Board for Economist Impact’s Confidence in Scientific Research initiative, joined the trustees of the Cummings Foundation, and was appointed to the board of the International Center for Research on Women.
Since 2010, she has contributed to the Global Task Force on Expanded Access to Cancer Care and Control in Developing Countries. Her memberships also include the joint scientific committee of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations in collaboration with China’s Ministry of Science and Technology, the Africa Europe Strategy Group on Health, and the Women Leaders Network at the Africa Europe Foundation.
Binagwaho participates in Rwanda’s Science Innovation Platform and serves as co-chair of the expert panel for the Commonwealth Road Safety Initiative. She leads the steering committee for the Clearly Research Program and has co-chaired the International Conference for Public Health in Africa since 2021. Additionally, she is a member of the scientific committee organizing the 5th Forum Galien Afrique.
She co-chairs the Science & Strategic Advisory Council for the International COVID-19 Data Research Alliance and heads the Global Health and COVID-19 Task Force under T20. Since 2021, she has been part of the African Union’s COVID-19 Commission and recently took on an advisory role within Stanford’s Climate Change and Health Community of Practice.
Her editorial responsibilities extend across several journals, including Health and Human Rights, Health Economics and Management Review, Annals of Global Health, International Journal Of Health Policy And Management, East African Health Research Journal, and the Bulletin of the World Health Organization.
Binagwaho is recognized as a fellow by The African Academy Of Sciences, the U.S. National Academy Of Medicine, and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), where she contributes to the Policy Development and Future Action Committee. Within the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering framework, she participates in the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education.
Research and activism
Binagwaho’s scholarly work centers on enhancing access to prevention, treatment, and care for HIV/AIDS alongside other diseases. She has highlighted research as a vital element in advancing health outcomes across Rwanda. Her doctoral thesis focused on identifying missed opportunities that prevent children living with HIV from fully realizing their right to health.
During her tenure as Minister of Health, Binagwaho launched online engagements via Twitter addressing global health policy and developments within Rwanda's health system. The biweekly #MinisterMondays sessions attracted a worldwide audience, and in 2011 she collaborated with Rwandan-American ICT firm Nyaruka to facilitate SMS participation for individuals lacking Internet connectivity.
Honors and awards
In 2013, Binagwaho was invited to present the University College London Lancet Lecture Series. Two years later, in 2015, she served as the Honorary David E. Barmes Global Health Lecturer at the National Institutes of Health, where she spoke on medical research and the development of healthcare capacity in Rwanda.
That year also saw her honored with the Roux Prize from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, recognizing her application of Global Burden of Disease Study data to decrease infant mortality rates in Rwanda. Additionally, she received the Ronald McDonald House Charities Award of Excellence for her efforts in advancing child health. Binagwaho was included among the 100 Most Influential African Women in both 2020 and 2021.
In 2022, she was awarded the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award for her impactful contributions to Rwanda’s healthcare system. As a co-chair of Africa’s inaugural public health conference, she was acknowledged for her "Global Health Leadership." Moreover, Apolitical listed her among their 100 Most Influential Academics in Government for her work on "Recovery from Covid-19 — Global Health," highlighting her as a prominent advocate for global health equity and social justice within African public health circles.
Publications
Binagwaho has contributed to more than 240 peer-reviewed journals and book chapters.
External links
Academic:
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
- Harvard Medical School, Catalyst Profile
- University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda
- Department of Pediatrics and The Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy and Clinical Care, Dartmouth College
Government:
Personal: